The grandmother of the teenager killed in France calls for an end to the riots in the country

The grandmother of Nahel M., whose death on Tuesday at the hands of the Police triggered the worst wave of recent riots in France, has called for calm this Sunday after five nights of clashes between Police and protesters.

"I want all this to stop. I tell people who are breaking things to stop. Don't destroy the schools," laments the woman, identified as 'Nadia', in a conversation with BFMTV.

'Nadia' has accused part of the protesters of using the death of her grandson "as an excuse" to destroy the country. "Don't destroy the schools, don't destroy the buses, because it's the mothers who use them," she said.

The woman has recognized that she is "tired" of the situation and this crisis, this crisis is even worse for her daughter, Nahel's mother, who "has no life left", she lamented.

'Nadia', however, has condemned the displays of support for the police officer who shot the young man on Tuesday in Nanterre, such as the one carried out by the right-wing columnist Jean Messiha, who has opened a collection to financially support the agent's family .

Messiha assured that the agent limited himself to "doing his job" after opening fire on the young man at a checkpoint, "and now he is paying a high price for it."

"It breaks my heart", 'Nadia' responded to this initiative. "I blame the policeman who killed my grandson," added the woman, who nevertheless exonerated the rest of the body. "I have nothing against them. Thank goodness they are there", she has concluded.

Another relative of Nahel has spoken with the British channel BBC and has stressed that "we never advocate hatred or riots." "We have not asked to break or steal. All this is not for Nahel", he has affirmed from the family residence in statements on condition of anonymity.

"We have asked for a White March in the streets. Walk in memory of Nahel. Walk with anger in the streets, demonstrate, but without noise," he added.

The relative has also requested that the law that allows police officers to shoot when they stop a car be changed, in the regulations on the use of lethal force and "better training" of the agents.

In 2017, the Penal Code was modified to increase the casuistry that allows the use of firearms by the police. Several voices have criticized an increase in the use of firearms by agents and consider that the regulations are too vague. In 2022, thirteen people died in police stops for reasons of traffic in France, the majority black or of North African origin.