French Protestors Demonstrate Against Police Violence Despite Ban

The Paris police banned a protest against police violence today, Saturday, following a week of riots that shook France due to the killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in a suburb of the capital. A spokesperson for the Paris police stated, "The demonstration scheduled in Place de la République was prohibited due to risks to public order," referring to "the state of tensions following the recent disturbances in French streets." Authorities and politicians, including President Emmanuel Macron, deny the existence of systemic racism within law enforcement agencies in the country. French police are under scrutiny following Nahel's fatal shooting on June 27, when police stopped his vehicle. The French Foreign Ministry today denied that the legal system in the country is characterized by racism, one day after the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on France to address "the structural and systematic causes of racial discrimination, including law enforcement agencies." The French Foreign Ministry stated, "Any accusations of discrimination or systematic racism by law enforcement agencies in France are unfounded." Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne indicated that the government would prohibit the sale and personal use of fireworks during the "Bastille Day" holiday next Friday, after they were widely used by protestors last week, leading to fires and injuries.