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Protester killed by policeman in New Caledonia

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In France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia, a French policeman has killed a protester, marking the seventh death in a week of violence ignited by contentious voting reforms. Prosecutor Yves Dupas in Nouméa, the capital, stated that the officer, currently in custody, fired his weapon after coming under attack from demonstrators on Friday. The deceased was a 48-year-old man. This incident follows a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced efforts to reach a new political agreement on the reforms.

The protests, led by the indigenous Kanak community who constitute 40% of the population, were sparked by planned voting reforms. Currently, only indigenous Kanaks and those who arrived from France before 1998 can vote. The proposed changes would allow more French residents, including those who have lived in New Caledonia for at least ten years, to vote. The Kanaks fear this could dilute their political power and hinder future independence referendums.

A manslaughter inquiry has been initiated, a standard procedure in France when a police officer kills someone. According to Dupas, the officer fired a shot from his service weapon during a physical altercation, with initial findings indicating the officers had facial injuries.

President Macron, during his one-day visit on Thursday, paused the reform but did not completely withdraw it, as demanded by pro-independence groups. He expressed a desire to reach a comprehensive political agreement on the territory’s future. In response to the unrest, thousands of additional police forces have been deployed to restore order.

Economic disparities are significant in New Caledonia, with the poverty rate among the indigenous Kanaks at 32.5%, compared to 9% among non-Kanaks, as per the 2019 census. France colonized New Caledonia in 1853 and made it an overseas territory in 1946, granting political rights to Kanaks under the 1998 Nouméa Accord. This accord also limited voting in provincial and assembly elections to pre-1998 residents. Since then, over 40,000 French nationals have moved to the territory.

Three independence referendums held between 2018 and 2021 showed narrow majorities for remaining part of France, with the third being boycotted by pro-independence groups due to the Covid pandemic. The recent violence has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, leading Macron to state that the state of emergency would be lifted once protesters’ barricades were dismantled. He described the unrest as an “unprecedented insurrection movement.”

Currently, Nouméa airport is closed to commercial flights, with military flights evacuating around 300 Australian and 50 New Zealand tourists who reported arson, looting, and food shortages.

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Man shot dead after French synagogue set on fire

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French police have killed a man after a synagogue was set on fire in Rouen, a city in north-western France. The man, armed with a knife and a metallic tool, was shot after he threatened officers, as confirmed by the Rouen prosecutor.

Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol expressed that the attack not only affected the Jewish community but left the entire city “battered and in shock.” French reports identified the suspect as an Algerian who was appealing against an expulsion order from France.

The incident occurred around 06:45 (04:45 GMT) when smoke was seen rising from the synagogue. The attacker used a petrol bomb to ignite the synagogue. Police officers quickly arrived on the scene after the suspect was spotted on security cameras. The suspect, who was on the roof of the synagogue, threatened the officers and threw a chisel at them before descending and brandishing a knife. One officer then fired five shots, hitting the suspect four times, according to Rouen public prosecutor Frédéric Teillet.

Firefighters managed to control the fire, but significant damage was reported inside the synagogue. Natacha Benhaïm, head of Rouen’s Jewish community, described the damage as catastrophic, though the Torah books remained unharmed.

Investigations are underway into the arson attack and the use of a police weapon. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin commended the police for their prompt and brave response. The suspect, a 29-year-old Algerian, carried no identification at the time of the attack.

This incident follows a rise in antisemitism in France since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October, leading to the current war in Gaza. Recent antisemitic acts include defacing a Paris memorial honoring those who rescued Jews during World War Two. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the defacement, emphasizing the importance of remembering France’s heroes and Holocaust victims.

France, home to the third largest Jewish community globally, has seen various attacks on places of worship, including the fatal stabbing of a priest during a church service eight years ago. The recent violence in Rouen also comes shortly after an ambush that resulted in the deaths of two prison officers south of the city.

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Outrage in Paris following police shooting of teenager who defied traffic stop

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Violent protests erupted in Paris overnight following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old who failed to comply with a traffic stop order by police. Video footage circulating on social media shows a police officer aiming a gun at the driver of a car, followed by a gunshot and the car subsequently crashing. The teenager, identified as Naël M, succumbed to chest wounds despite receiving assistance from emergency services. The officer responsible for the shooting has been apprehended on charges of homicide.

Initially, the police claimed that the teen had driven his car toward them with the intent to harm. However, verified footage contradicts this account, revealing two officers attempting to stop the vehicle. One officer points his weapon at the driver through the window and seemingly fires at close range as the driver tries to flee. In the video, an unidentified person can be heard saying, “you’re going to be shot in the head,” but the speaker’s identity remains unclear.

Two other individuals were in the car at the time of the incident. One of them fled, while the other, also a minor, was detained by the police. The shooting triggered protests in the Nanterre area, located west of Paris, with incidents of arson, destruction of bus shelters, and the use of fireworks near the police station. Riot police employed tear gas to disperse the protesters, leading to the arrest of twenty individuals.

Following the teenager’s death, two separate investigations have been initiated—one into the potential misconduct of a public official resulting in a fatality, and another into the driver’s failure to stop the vehicle and alleged attempt to harm a police officer.

Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez expressed concerns about the officer’s actions, although he suggested the officer may have felt threatened. The family’s lawyer contested this justification, stating that the video unequivocally depicted a police officer deliberately killing the young man. The family filed a complaint against the police for providing false information initially, claiming that the car had attempted to run over the officers.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin described the video shared on social media as “extremely shocking” and called on people to respect the family’s grief and the presumption of innocence for the police. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon extended his condolences to the teen’s family, emphasizing that no officer has the right to kill unless in self-defense. He called for a comprehensive reform of the uncontrolled police force, which he believes undermines the authority of the state.

This incident follows another fatal police shooting two weeks earlier in Angouleme, where a 19-year-old driver was killed after allegedly hitting an officer during a traffic stop. Last year, a record number of 13 individuals died in police shootings during traffic stops in France, according to Reuters. Naël M’s death marks the second such incident this year.

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