Fatal Shooting of Tunisian Man in France Sparks Protests Against Racism

"Racism has killed again. Justice for Hichem," read the banner carried by family members during the two marches organized on Sunday, June 8, in Marseille and Puget-sur-Argens, in the Var, which were attended by some 1,600 people, friends, residents, and anonymous supporters. All are demanding justice for the Tunisian hairdresser. "We will fight to the end to ensure that all responsibilities are taken, up to the highest levels of the State, because this atmosphere of racism, what targeted Hichem, is racism, it’s Islamophobia, it’s xenophobia," denounced the lawyer for Hichem Miraoui’s family, Sefen Guez Guez. He believes that this march was "a call for a republican awakening, a call for an awakening for all."

Starting from the hair salon where Hichem worked, the march ended on the square in front of the City Hall where the Marseillaise was played. "A powerful moment of reflection, respect, and dignity, in a shared silence, in memory of a young man gone too soon," said the municipality of Puget-sur-Argens on its social media. "We’ve never had a problem like this here, I wouldn’t want people to think that Puget is a racist village. It’s a racist act, yes, but it’s an isolated act. It’s not because you vote for the RN that you wish death upon someone," said Dr. Lionel Courouge, a retired general practitioner after 40 years of practice in the locality. A neighbor of Hichem, of Turkish nationality, who was wounded by gunshots from the assailant in Puget-sur-Argens (Var), was among the marchers.

On May 31, around 10:00 PM, the suspect of French nationality, Christophe B., 53, fired several times at his neighbor, Hichem Miraoui, from his car, according to the anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office (Pnat). He had published several videos on Facebook with racist and xenophobic content before and after his act. The individual, in the name of an "allegiance to the French flag," in one of the videos viewed by franceinfo, first insulted "the Islamics and the wogs," then called on the French to go get them where they are and to vote for what needs to be voted. "Tonight, we’re going to make a killing," the suspect continued. "Tonight, I’m going to die. All the undocumented, I’m going to shoot them," said the fifty-year-old. "Only the GIGN will stop me," he concluded. After his arrest, he was placed in detention. He admitted to his crime but contested its racist nature. On Thursday, he was indicted for terrorist assassination due to origin.