Police clash with rioters as unrest continues for fifth night
An “insulting” fundraiser set up for the family of the police officer who shot 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk has amassed more than €1 million (£840,000).
Organised by Jean Messiha, a former adviser to the French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, the appeal has raised far more than the donation page set up for the family of the teenage victim.
The donation page for the family of Nahel has raised less than a quarter of the amount at just over €200,000 (£171,918).
The GoFundMe for the officer’s family says that the 38-year-old, who has been charged with murder and is being remanded in custody, “is today paying the biggest price” for “doing his job”.
Criminal lawyer Carole-Olivia Monteno told BFM TV: “It’s insulting to Nahel’s family, it only increases hate where there’s too much of it already, its completely inappropriate and politically it does nothing.”
It comes as unrest across France sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old appeared to slow overnight after six consecutive nights of violence.
There were 157 arrests overnight, down from a peak of 3,880 arrests during the fiery night of June 30.
