Prosecutors are urging "prison sentences for people charged with physical assault or serious vandalism," the Times reported. At least 3,400 people have been arrested since the protests began, according to French law enforcement. The scale of the damage is widespread, with "more than 5,000 vehicles burned, 1,000 buildings damaged or looted, 250 police stations or gendarmeries attacked, more than 700 officers injured," The New York Times reported. The outlet noted that the death of Merzouk "sparked widespread unrest over the police use of force, particularly against minorities," much in the way that the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis lit a powder keg of protests across the United States.įor the first few days of the protests, angry rioters "torched cars, looted shops, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police," The Guardian noted, as cries of justice for Merzouk rang out across France. What has happened since Merzouk's death?įollowing the incident, riots broke out across major French cities, "Bringing violence, fires and hundreds of arrests," NPR reported. The unnamed officer is "currently facing a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention," CNN reported. The officer who shot Merzouk is currently being investigated, with Prache noting that he believed the officer's actions were illegal. The policeman who fired his weapon allegedly did so because he was afraid "the dangerous road behavior of the driver" could result in "someone being hit by the vehicle" as it drove off, Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said during a press conference. It's unclear what precipitated the traffic stop.
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