Protesters in France have thrown fireworks at police and set cars ablaze in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, hours after President Emmanuel Macron condemned as "inexcusable" fatal shooting of a teenager during a traffic stop.
The shooting of the 17-year-old, named as Nahel M, who was of North African origin, has fed a deep-rooted perception of police brutality in the ethnically diverse suburbs of France's biggest cities.
On Nanterre's Avenue Pablo Picasso, a trail of overturned vehicles burned as fireworks hit police lines.
Police clashed with protesters in the northern city of Lille and in Toulouse in the southwest.
There was also unrest in Amiens, Dijon and the Essone administrative department south of the French capital.
A police officer is being investigated for voluntary homicide over the shooting.
Prosecutors say the teenager failed to comply with an order to stop his car.
The interior ministry has called for calm, and said 2,000 police have been mobilised in the Paris region.
Rights groups allege systemic racism inside law-enforcement agencies in France, a charge President Macron has previously denied.
A video shared on social media, verified by Reuters, shows two police officers beside the car, a Mercedes AMG, with one shooting at the driver at close range as the car pulled away.
He died shortly afterwards from his injuries, the local prosecutor said.
"You have a video that is very clear: a police officer killed a young man of 17 years. You can see that the shooting is not within the rules," said Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer for the family.
There were two passengers in the car. One ran off and the other, also a teenager, was briefly detained.
The death sparked clashes and arson attacks in several Paris suburbs early today, with 31 people arrested and 24 police officers injured.
Politicians held a minute's silence in the National Assembly, where Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the shooting "seems clearly not to comply with the rules."
The family has filed a legal complaint against the officers for homicide, complicity in homicide and false testimony, the lawyer said.
In a video shared on TikTok, a woman identified as the victim's mother called for a memorial march in Nanterre tomorrow.
"Everyone come, we will lead a revolt for my son," she said.
Explainer: French use of force at traffic stops
The killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France this year, down from a record 13 last year, a spokesperson for the national police said.
There were three such killings in 2021 and two in 2020, according to a Reuters tally, which shows the majority of victims since 2017 were Black or of Arab origin.
France's human rights ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the death, the sixth such inquiry into similar incidents in 2022 and 2023.
President Macron's remarks were unusually frank in a country where senior politicians are often reticent to criticise police given voters' security concerns.
He has faced criticism from rivals who accuse him of being soft on drug dealers and petty criminals and has implemented policies aimed at curbing urban crime, including greater authority for police to issue fines.
The streets of Nanterre were calm this morning and Fatima, a resident, said she hoped there would be no more violence.
"To revolt like we did yesterday won't change things, we need to discuss and talk," she said.
Personal details are still emerging about the victim, a delivery driver who had dropped out of high school.
He "wasn't a delinquent," according to a 55-year-old woman who said she knew him.
"Why did the policeman shoot even though his life was not in danger?" said Juliette, who asked for her full name not to be used.
Celebrities from the worlds of football, entertainment and rap music voiced disgust and outrage.
"I am hurting for my France," tweeted Kylian Mbappe, captain of the French men's national football team and player at Paris Saint-Germain.
Actor Omar Sy, famous for his role in the film "The Intouchables" and the "Lupin" TV show, said on Twitter: "I hope that justice worthy of the name will honour the memory of this child."
