French authorities say a police officer faces a charge of voluntary homicide in connection with the death of a teenager during a traffic stop earlier this week. The incident, caught on video, has sparked widespread unrest leading to the arrest of 150 people in Paris and other cities.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the arrests in a tweet in which he said, “Shame on those who did not call for calm.”
“A night of intolerable violence against symbols of the republic, with town halls, schools and police stations set on fire or attacked,” Darmanin said.
In addition to Paris, protests have hit Toulouse, Dijon, Lyon and other areas, as activists call attention to what they say is systemic abuse by police, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
The town of Clamart, in the southwest suburbs of Paris, announced Thursday that it will be imposing an overnight curfew through the weekend in response to rioting prompted by the incident.
In a statement announcing the restriction, the town cites “the rise of new public order disturbances.”
“Clamart is a safe and calm town, we are determined that it stay that way,” the statement also said.
The curfew was set to run from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. local time, from Thursday to Monday.
The death of the 17-year-old identified only by his first name, Nael, happened Tuesday in Nanterre.
The teenager’s mother called for a march Thursday in his honor.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the shooting was “unexplainable and inexcusable.” He called for an emergency meeting of his ministers Thursday.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
…