The murder of teenager Naël Merzouk and the country-wide protests and riots have brought back memories for the French, not only of the 2005 unrest but also of other incidents involving law enforcement and ethnic minorities that have resulted in fatal outcomes, Euronews has reported.
The Protest Against Police Brutality, initially planned to take place in the Val-d'Oise department, was supposed to be led by Assa Traoré, whose brother, Adama Traoré, a black man, died in 2016 while being transported to a police station after a confrontation with law enforcement officers. The authorities prohibited this event, prompting its relocation to the Republic Square in Paris. The Paris Police Prefecture also imposed a ban on holding the demonstration.
Around a hundred left-wing organizations called on citizens to join marches across the country. The government stated that "major cities have not yet recovered from the lawlessness" associated with the recent events in Nanterre.
The capital police reported the arrest of two participants in the demonstration, including one of Adama Traoré's brothers, Youssef. His sister, Assa, who has become a prominent activist in the movement against police violence, will face legal prosecution for organizing an illegal protest.
Who was Naël Merzouk?
Protests erupted throughout France following the police killing of 17-year-old Naël Merzouk, who was of Algerian descent. The incident occurred when the young man refused to stop his "Mercedes" car upon the police's request due to a traffic violation - he was too young to have a driver's license and was driving illegally. As a result, the police officer fired at the teenager, causing a fatal injury. The shooter justified his actions by claiming that the teenager had refused to comply.
Who was Adama Traoré?
On July 19, 2016, on the 24th birthday of Adama Traoré, Traoré was with his older brother Bagui in the Paris suburb of Beaumont-sur-Oise. The police approached the pair, attempting to arrest Bagui for extortion and violence against a disabled woman. Officers asked to check their identification, but Adama didn't have his and fled. He was caught by officers, but he managed to escape again and hide in a nearby house after an unknown third party attacked and knocked down one of the arresting officers, who then fled the scene. Three gendarmes later discovered Adama hiding under a sheet without handcuffs and pressed him down for the arrest.
After his arrest, Adama stood up on his own, but the officers claimed he appeared to be experiencing some physical distress. He was taken to a police car and then to the nearest police station, with the journey lasting 3-4 minutes. Upon arrival at the station, the police noticed that Adama had wet himself and was unconscious, but they stated that he was still breathing. Officers placed Adama on the ground and called for emergency medical assistance. At that moment, Bagui, who was being detained by other officers, arrived at the station and upon seeing his brother on the ground, shouted, "Be careful with my brother, he's sick!" When the firefighters and paramedics arrived and saw that Adama was no longer breathing, they called for a SAMU emergency medical team to attempt resuscitation. An hour later, Adama was pronounced dead at the scene. Following his death, 1,330 euros in cash and a bag of cannabis were found on Adama.
Adama Traoré had previously been convicted of various offenses, including rioting and violence against the police, extortion, drug-related crimes, and theft. He had been released from prison in May 2016, two months prior to his death. Traoré became a symbol for activists fighting police brutality, and his older sister, Assa Traoré, became an activist against racism following his death. Assa herself filed a defamation lawsuit against three police officers and was accused of obstructing justice, with the trial beginning in May 2021.
On May 29, 2020, French law enforcement authorities published a final report revealing the involvement of three officers in the misconduct, which sparked new protests. Protesters also expressed solidarity with the George Floyd protests that had erupted in the United States and other countries in late May.
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