Paris riots: Does France have a police problem?

The shooting has once again exposed the fiery faultlines in French society, says Bel Trew in Paris

French police officers detain a demonstrator in Paris (AFP via Getty Images)

Young people from our neighbourhood go to prison for so much less”, said Hatifa, the aunt of a French teenager whose shooting by a police officer at a traffic stop last week ignited nationwide protests and violent unrest.

The killing of Nahel, 17, which was caught on camera, has thrust his family, who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin, into the international spotlight.

Alarmed by the rising violence, his aunt wanted to make it clear they were calling for calm and an end to the ransacking and looting.