There are new developments in the case of the 17-year-old boy whose death has sparked nationwide riots in France. More than 700 police officers and gendarmes have been injured in the week-long protests, an exceptionally high number. A survey conducted by the Elabe pollster for BMFTV revealed that 9 out of 10 French people think that the case served as a pretext for the damage and violence.
The survey also probed French people's opinion about the violence against police officers and gendarmes. 89% of the respondents clearly condemned that, while 93 percent said it was shameful that the rioters are vandalizing public buildings. The survey also suggested, however, that 20 percent of those surveyed found the violence against the law enforcement officers understandable. That proportion was much higher, 40 percent, among people under 25 years of age and 35 percent among voters of Jean-Luc Melenchon’s left-wing party.
The survey also shows that 71% of those surveyed trust the police and 80% trust the gendarmerie. The figure is 94 percent among voters of the ruling party, compared with only 44 percent among left-wing supporters.
The survey also revealed that voters of the right-wing Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour believe that the ensuing chaos had three main reasons: a too lenient justice system, immigration and the lack of parental authority.
Meanwhile, right-wing politician Jean Messiha has organized a fundraiser for the family of the policeman who killed the 17-year-old boy. The initiative was closed on Tuesday evening, and it raised a total of €1,636,220.
The huge amount was raised in just a few days, with more than 85 thousand donations, BFMTV reported. The French left fiercely opposed the fundraiser. Mathilde Panot from the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party called the initiative a disgrace and announced that she would appeal to the public prosecutor's office to have it stopped. The left-wing politician said the fundraiser violated the 1881 law on freedom of the press and disturbs public order, and launched a petition against it.
Meanwhile, experts have analysed the audio recording made during the traffic stop. Some sources had previously claimed that the officers threatened to shoot Nahel, but the investigation by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) revealed that they merely warned the boy and repeatedly asked him to stop the engine and put his hands on the back of his head.
The riots have caused a lot of damage in the country. The protesters shattered shop windows and looted stores. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that store owners will have 30 days to report the damage to their insurers, instead of the usual five days. He stressed that the French state would support businesses that had suffered damage.
The finance minister also talked about the damage caused by the riots in Parliament. During his speech, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher looked at each other and started laughing. Many people were outraged by the scene. Some took to social media to express their indignation, with one of them writing that was no wonder the two politicians were laughing, as they lived in a nice neighborhood where there were no riots, adding that they should visit the destroyed suburbs. The commenter added that they surely would not be so happy if their own cars had been set on fire.
