French Protests Continue

Protests in France over the Tuesday police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk during a traffic stop stretched into the weekend, with more than 3,000 people detained and roughly 45,000 officers deployed to quell demonstrations across the country.

According to reports, two officers attempted to stop Merzouk after observing him driving erratically in morning traffic. Police opened fire on Merzouk's vehicle after stopping him, saying he tried to hit them while driving away. Video later posted on social media appeared to undermine those claims—though Merzouk did appear to try and flee the scene (see here).

Widespread property damage and looting have accompanied the protests following the killing, including reportedly crashing a car into a local mayor's home and setting it on fire.

Observers say Merzouk's killing has become a flashpoint for long-simmering accusations of misconduct and racial bias by French police. See photos from the protests here.