Massive riots have been taking place in Paris these last few days. France has been rocked by a wave of protests after a 17-year-old youth was shot by police near Paris on Tuesday, sparking a ban on demonstrations in some cities, travel warnings and reigniting a debate on over-policing in marginalized communities.
I witnessed a video taken from a mobile by a witness during the scene when the youth wouldn’t stop and get out of his car when police confronted him. Two policemen were trying to get him to open his door. He had to slow down because of traffic, but he wouldn’t accept their demands, and then as soon as an opening in traffic occurred, he started to drive away instead of following their commands to stop and get out.
In other words, he completely ignored the authority and drove away. The police warned him and then opened fire. Now logically the police were carrying out the job, a very tough job that needs respect. The shooting at first seemed harsh, but under the pressure of the youth's failure to succumb to their directions, must have created the policeman's reaction.
Imagine if everybody ignored the police doing their job; then bedlam would prevail in the city. He was old enough to drive and therefore old enough to respect the law and realize the purpose was to contain him. He should have conformed to protocol respectfully. If he was so innocent then why did he ignore them. From what I understand he didn't even have a driver's licence. He had previously been cited for driving without a licence - he was too young to have one - and for refusing to comply with an order to stop.
Mbappe, PSG and French soccer star posted an emotional letter of support to the 17-year-old’s family, and basically condemns the policeman who fatally took the shot. Grantedly, the act could have been judged harshly, but when a policeman gives a command, the kid should have stopped instead of trying to flee like a criminal. Mbappe is an immigrant, and has a chip on his shoulder, so it really doesn’t surprise me in his response. Anyway, I never hear comments from football players when thugs kill an innocent bystander.
Anyway, the riots are totally out of order, and they cause more strife when other innocent victims have to witness such provocation while affecting their livelihood. The video shows some typical damage done, and tourists who have been affected by this outcry.
It just so happens the youth was Algerian born, and driving an AMG Mercedes-Benz. So, he wasn’t French, and his parents should have made sure he was aware that the police are the authority in France, and by that he should follow the rules. There must be a lot more to this story which hasn’t been reported on due to lack of detail, as judging by the video he could have been a gangster or probable drug dealer.
You don’t need to be an expert to deduce this possibility, as Algerians in the UK are notoriously involved with drug peddling. The fact he’s driving around in a fancy car at such a young age, and ignored a direct police order is evident in why the police weren’t treating this case casually.
Have a thoughtful day!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Reigniting (v) = regular to ignite means to cause to ignite i.e., kindle, burn, explode, catch fire, go up in flames. Flare up, go off, (ant) go out, however it can also be used when saying it created a debate, or conflict, so reignite means to bring up a subject again.
Bedlam (n) = mayhem, chaos, confusion, anarchy, disorder, disarray
Succumb (v) = fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force. "The youth has become the latest to succumb to the strain of life."
Flee (v) = run away from a place or situation of danger. "A man was shot twice as he fled from five masked youths."
A chip on his shoulder (idiom) = to have an angry or unpleasant attitude or way of behaving caused by a belief that one has been treated unfairly in the past. He has had a chip on his shoulder ever since he didn't get the promotion he was expecting.
Outcry (n) = uproar, turmoil, row, commotion, protest, hullabaloo
Peddling (v) regular verb to peddle meaning to market, sell, push, retail, tout, flog, get rid of