Hundreds Arrested in French Riots After Police Shoot Teen

Over 800 people were arrested in France Thursday night as protests and riots broke out nationwide following the police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian and Moroccan descent.

The Details: Along with the arrests, French officials said there were 3,880 fires started, 2,000 vehicles burned, and 492 buildings damaged nationwide. French President Emmanuel Macron said the teen’s death was “inexplicable and unforgivable” but also called the riots an “unacceptable manipulation of a teenager’s death.” French officials deployed 45,000 police officers nationwide ahead of expected unrest Friday night. 

For Context: A police officer shot the teenager, identified only as Nahel M., as he drove away to escape a traffic stop on Tuesday. The officer was detained on suspicion of voluntary homicide, and a prosecutor concluded that “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met.” A lawyer for the officer said he was “sorry” and “devastated” by the incident. However, French racial justice activists have tied the incident to broader purported racism by police against black and Arab people.

How the Media Covered It: Echoing past coverage of U.S. racial justice protests, left-rated outlets often used the term “protest,” and right-rated outlets often used “riots.” Coverage from the right also appeared to highlight more violence and portray the protesters and rioters less favorably; one opinion headline in the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) began with “France burns.” Coverage from the left was at times more analytical; The New York Times (Lean Left bias) offered a “Visual Timeline of the Protests.”