Emmanuel, mickael and suleyman. That’s what they’re called. They are between 18 and 19 years old. The three of them could embody movie characters like The hatred of Mathieu Kassovitz either Les Miserables by Ladj Li. But in reality they are three young french of flesh and bones. At the beginning of last week, they had in mind their summer plans and dreams for the next course. One wanted to start a career in psychology, another aspired to become a computer engineer and the third —the only one with a record— intended to train as a orderly and thus leave his last days as a petty thief. But an unexpected event radically changed his summer of 2023.
It was the death of Nahel M., 17 years old, the teenager from Nanterre shot down with a point blank shot by a police officer during a traffic control on the morning of June 27 in this town northwest of Paris. That tragic death caused shock and a strong indignationespecially among the inhabitants of the banlieues (cities and peripheral neighborhoods with a high percentage of population of foreign origin). last year there was 13 deaths of French citizens — many of them people of color — who did not abide by a police order and lost their lives after being shot for it inside their vehicle. That fueled the heated debate over police abuse in France.
The events, however, happened with a devilish speed during the last week. From shock and outrage he moved quickly to Rage and a wave of violent protests and acts of vandalism with an intensity greater than what has been experienced in recent years in the bustling neighboring country, as well as the historic revolt of the banlieues of 2005, which lasted three weeks. there have been more than 5,000 cars burned, 250 attacks against police stations and near 1,000 buildings burned down. The busiest night was from Thursday to Friday. Since then, the riots have progressively subsided. has the hangover time of this new revolt of the youth of the peripheral neighbourhoods? It seems so.
Speedy trials after more than 3,200 arrests
The security forces detained more than 3,200 adolescents and young people for the last week of riots. Many of them are already appearing in court in speedy trials, just days after their arrest. This is the case of Emmanuel, Mickael and Suleyman, who were tried this Tuesday afternoon at the Bobigny Court, in the northeast of the Paris region. The courtrooms in the capital of the department (province) of Seine-Saint-Denis —one of the poorest in France and where urban violence spread rapidly— are full of cases of this type.
In fact, the headlines of the hectic week after Nahel’s death are reflected in microstories. For example, those suffered by the same modest inhabitants from these neighborhoods to those who burned the car or looted the trade. But also the microhistories of the thousands of involved in this revolt, some young people who channeled with the worst of forms —an overflowing and all-consuming violence— a legitimate rage.
Emmanuel, Mickael and Suleyman quickly found out about Nahel’s death. The shocking video of the “voluntary homicide & rdquor; of the adolescent fueled heated debates in the snapchat group that they share with the neighbors of the neighborhood Paul Eluard, located right next to the Bobigny Town Hall. Normally, they used that chat to organize soccer matches. Early last week, it became a dumping ground for anger and frustrations against police and authorities.
Of the three, the one who was most outraged by Nahel’s death was Emmanuel. After having participated on Thursday in the important march in Nanterre in homage to the teenager whose life was taken by the police, he participated the following night in the assault on Bobigny Town Hall. The images from the surveillance cameras show him in front of a group of young people who destroyed the entrance of the municipal precinct, penetrated inside and caused several fires. During that night of multiple disturbances, he lost his mobile phone. The police found him and thanks to this they arrested this group of young people the day after.
“Are you judging an enemy of the nation? & rdquor;
“I have lost my mobile phone and I have been shot in the leg with a rubber bullet. In the end, I cried. should never have left tonight& rdquor ;, lamented Emmanuel in the neighborhood chat. It was one of the few messages from him. Actually, the most vocal of the three was Mickael, a young man from Bobigny with no migrant roots.
“We are at war and we have to take advantage of it & rdquor ;, he blurted out in the conversation with his crew, in which there was speculation about trying to “burn the court” either “loot the FNAC”. “All this was said as a joke. He did it to make me the man & rdquor ;, he defended himself during his trial. Despite the no direct evidence with his participation in the riots, they have tried him for “complicity & rdquor; with multiple violent acts. The court sentenced him to a sentence of year and a half in prison. But, since he had no criminal record, he will be able to spend it with a year wearing a electronic bracelet.
He received a more severe punishment suleyman. When they went to arrest him at his home, the police found nine Adidas pants that he had stolen during a looting last week in a shopping center in the neighboring town of Drancy. Since he had a criminal record, he was sentenced to 18 months of pressure, of which he must pass one year between bars.
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And the court pronounced the most important sentence for Emmanuel. In addition to the damage to the Town Hall, he was punished for illegal possession of a gun that he had at his home, without ammunition. “I found her in a neighborhood basement & rdquor ;, she told the judges. An alleged version ratified by Amir, one of his neighbors, present on the public bench full of people, in statements to EL PERIÓDICO: “Although it seems incredible, this type of thing happens in Seine-Saint-Denis”.
In the end, the judges did not believe his words (or excuses). “Today are you judging a enemy of the nation? Or a young man full of dreams? & rdquor ; Emmanuel asked the magistrates. They sentenced him to 24 months in prison, 18 of which will have to go behind bars. As the wave of anger against police abuses subsides, order and the rule of law return to France. But this does not remove an obvious feeling: the collective failure that these young people represent banlieu.