Beyond the Headlines: How the killing of a teenager exposed a fault-line through France



France has entered a second week of unrest, after riots triggered by the police killing of a teenager of North African descent spread across the country.

Seventeen-year-old Nahel M, from the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, was shot dead in his car at point blank range by a policeman on June 27 - and France is reeling from his death. Cars have been set on fire and shops looted by rioters. Tens of thousands of police officers have had to be mobilised to restore order.

The killing has prompted a furious debate about police reform, race and equality – with some blaming migration, others institutionalised racism. President Emmanuel Macron has been meeting with mayors and officials to explore "deeper reasons" for the riots.

On this episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Lemma Shehadi investigates how one death has exposed such division.

Updated: July 06, 2023, 4:49 AM