France on Fire: The Killing of Nahel Marzouk & Long Shadow of Colonialism

See the entire interview on our Patreon: France is on fire after police were filmed shooting and killing unarmed 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, a French citizen of Moroccan and Algerian descent, in the suburbs of Paris during a traffic stop. This shocking display of French state violence triggered large-scale protests, particularly amongst the country’s Muslim, African, and Arab populations, long boiling over racist and classist structures staunchly rooted in French history and identity as displayed in its brutal colonial legacy. What is the role of France’s colonial hangover in all of this? Where do racism, secularism and Islamophobia fit in? How about class inequality? And what comes next? To discuss this and more, Rania Khalek was joined by Yasser Louati, a political analyst and head of the Committee for Justice & Liberties in France. This is just the first half of this episode. The second half is available for Breakthrough News Members only. Become a member at to access the full episode and other exclusive content. #BreakThroughNews