The protests against the police brutality case against a 17 year old boy sparked massive protests in France, which have now passed their peak.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday that the peak of the riots across France has now passed, with the country experiencing a relatively calm night yesterday. However, tensions continue to run high as the police brutality debate in the country is still on the rise.
Defiant gatherings were held outside town halls across France on Monday following a wave of rioting triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager of north African descent, as per Reuters reports.
Police made fewer than 160 arrests overnight, offering some relief for President Emmanuel Macron in his fight to reimpose order, just months after rolling protests over an unpopular pension reform and a year out from hosting the Olympics.
The death of 17-year-old Nahel Marzouk sparked a massive discussion about how police brutality and racism are still going hand in hand in a developed and forward country like France, with protestors taking to the streets and demanding justice through violent protests.
The anti-police resentment in France is at an all-time high, especially in the racially mixed suburbs of major French cities, where Muslim communities of North African descent in particular have long accused police of racial profiling and violent tactics.
What is happening in France?
Teenager Nahel Marzouk was shot dead in the early hours of June 27, when he was driving his Mercedes AMG car and attempted to drive away when the police stopped him. One officer fired a shot at him, and Marzouk was pronounced dead on the scene.
His death sparked protests, which soon turned into riots where people began torching cars and looting stores, challenging the law and order situation in France. The situation, however, calmed down in four days.
Pattern of racist police brutality in France
The Nahel protests in France are a dead ringer for the 2005 France riots, where people had taken to the streets after two Muslim youths were killed in the country while hiding from the police in electric substation, and ended up getting electrocuted.
The riots in 2005 lasted for an entire month and resulted to over 8000 vehicles burnt and over 2700 people getting arrested.
READ | France riots explained: Who was Nahel? 17-year-old whose fatal police shooting triggered chaos in Paris
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 "France riots aftermath: What is happening in France? How this is a repeat of 2005 police brutality protests")
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