The Murder of Nahel Merzouk, Police Violence and the Media in France

Since the video of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old boy who was shot dead by a police officer, went viral, riots took place in many suburbs in France.

Initially, the officer argued that he fired at Nahel in “self defence”, however, his account contradicted a video footage which showed that the teenager did not drive his car towards the police, and he was shot while trying to escape.

As far back as 1983, 19-year-old Toumi Djaïdja, a resident of a Lyon suburb, was the victim of police violence and spent two weeks in a coma. This gave birth to what is believed to be the first national anti-racist demonstration – the March for Equality and Against Racism – which attracted at least 100,000 people.

In 2005, there was another incident with many parallels to Nahel’s murder.

Three teenagers, aged between 15 and 17, were returning home one afternoon after playing football with their friends when they were suddenly followed by the police. Although they had done nothing wrong (and this was later confirmed by an investigation), the terrified youngsters hid in an electrical transformer to escape the police. Two of them, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré, died of electrocution. The third, Muhittin Altun, suffered terrible burns and permanent injuries.

Since the video of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old boy who was shot dead by a police officer, went viral, riots took place in many suburbs in France.

Initially, the officer argued that he fired at Nahel in “self defence”, however, his account contradicted a video footage which showed that the teenager did not drive his car towards the police, and he was shot while trying to escape.

As far back as 1983, 19-year-old Toumi Djaïdja, a resident of a Lyon suburb, was the victim of police violence and spent two weeks in a coma. This gave birth to what is believed to be the first national anti-racist demonstration – the March for Equality and Against Racism – which attracted at least 100,000 people.

In 2005, there was another incident with many parallels to Nahel’s murder.

Three teenagers, aged between 15 and 17, were returning home one afternoon after playing football with their friends when they were suddenly followed by the police. Although they had done nothing wrong (and this was later confirmed by an investigation), the terrified youngsters hid in an electrical transformer to escape the police. Two of them, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré, died of electrocution. The third, Muhittin Altun, suffered terrible burns and permanent injuries.

Since the video of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old boy who was shot dead by a police officer, went viral, riots took place in many suburbs in France.

Initially, the officer argued that he fired at Nahel in “self defence”, however, his account contradicted a video footage which showed that the teenager did not drive his car towards the police, and he was shot while trying to escape.

As far back as 1983, 19-year-old Toumi Djaïdja, a resident of a Lyon suburb, was the victim of police violence and spent two weeks in a coma. This gave birth to what is believed to be the first national anti-racist demonstration – the March for Equality and Against Racism – which attracted at least 100,000 people.

In 2005, there was another incident with many parallels to Nahel’s murder.

Three teenagers, aged between 15 and 17, were returning home one afternoon after playing football with their friends when they were suddenly followed by the police. Although they had done nothing wrong (and this was later confirmed by an investigation), the terrified youngsters hid in an electrical transformer to escape the police. Two of them, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré, died of electrocution. The third, Muhittin Altun, suffered terrible burns and permanent injuries.