French riots: Paris on standby as funeral is held for teenager killed by police

The funeral of a French teenager whose death at the hands of police started riots across the country is under way in the north-west of Paris.

The funeral began at 11am local time near Nanterre, where Nahel M aged 17, lived and was shot dead on Tuesday. He will be buried at the Mont Valerien cemetery after prayers at Ibn Badis mosque.

The service is private, and lawyers for Nahel’s mother have asked the media to stay away from the funeral.

Nahel was fatally shot after being stopped by police for driving a car in the bus lane. His death prompted the worst riots in France since 2005, when two boys of African origin were killed in a police chase.

French President Emmanuel Macron described Nahel’s death as “inexplicable and unforgivable”.

Nahel’s body was taken from the funeral home on Saturday morning by his family to the mosque, in a scene which French news outlet France24 described as “calm but tense”.

There was a large police presence on the streets of the French capital.“Everyone is gathered here, his close friends, his family and the imams who will organise the prayers in homage to Nahel,” said Ethan Hajji for France24, adding that journalists were asked to keep their distance.

A woman from Nanterre said she had come to support Nahel’s mother. “Peace be on his soul, may justice be served. I came to support the mother, she had only him, poor woman,” she told AFP as she came out of the funeral home.

The Ibn Badis Institute said it expected “exceptional crowds” to turn up for the funeral, in an online statement.