Far-Right Fundraiser for Officer Who Killed Teen Sparks Controversy in France

The French Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond Moretti, accused the initiators of the fundraiser of "instrumentalizing" Nahel’s death for political purposes, stressing that they are only "fueling the fire" of the unrest. They "perpetuate... a gaping division" in French society, denounced Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), the opposition party.

The murder of Nahel has reignited the debate on police violence and racism in France, and sparked a wave of tensions and vandalism that has engulfed several cities. More than 45,000 police officers have been deployed across the country to maintain order, after several nights of violence since Tuesday. On Friday, more than 1,300 people were arrested, compared to 719 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday.

The number gradually decreased after the call for calm launched by Nahel’s grandmother, Nadia, during a television interview. "I tell the people who are vandalizing - stop. Nahel is dead. My daughter only had one child. She is lost, it’s over, my daughter has no more life," she said.

The police officer involved, married and father of a child, shot the young man of Algerian and Moroccan origin at close range during a traffic stop last Tuesday. Yet the victim was unarmed and did not pose a threat to the defendant and his colleagues, as shown by a video of the incident circulating on social media.