Politicians on the left have criticised the collection, set up by a far-right activist, but GoFundMe has refused to take it down
Kim Willsher in ParisMon 3 Jul 2023
THE GUARDIAN
A row has broken out over a collection for the family of the French police officer under investigation for shooting dead a 17-year-old that has topped more than €1m (£860,000) in donations.
A similar collection to help the family of the victim, Nahel M, killed a week ago in Nanterre outside Paris after being stopped by two motorcycle patrol officers, has collected less than €200,000.
The shooting last Tuesday led to a wave of rioting and violence across France and worsened deep political divisions.
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The collection for the 38-year-old officer named as Florian M was organised by Jean Messiha, a former spokesperson for the far-right presidential candidate Éric Zemmour, with an initial target of €50,000.
“Support for the family of the Nanterre police officer, Florian M, who did his job and is today paying a heavy price. Support him massively and support our police,” it reads.
By Monday afternoon, more than 58,000 people had made donations, the largest of which was €3,000 from an anonymous benefactor. There were several donations of €1,000.
Nahel’s grandmother Nadia said she was “heartbroken” by the support shown for the officer. “He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone,” she told the BFM television channel on Sunday. “I have confidence in the justice system. I believe in justice.”
Leftwing politicians have described the fund as “indecent”.
Clémence Guetté of the radical-left France Unbowedparty said the fund was “indecent and an absolute horror”.
Manon Aubry, a France Unbowed MEP, demanded the fund be cancelled.
“More than a million euros collected on the initiative of a far-right polemicist [Messiha] in support of a police officer who kills a teenager. The message? It pays to kill a young Arab,” Aubry tweeted.
Éric Bothorel of the ruling Renaissance party accused Messiha of “playing with fire” and said the fund was “indecent and scandalous”.
French law prohibits the “opening of or public announcement of subscriptions whose purpose is to compensate for fines, costs and damages awarded by judicial sentences in criminal and correctional matters”. The law allows for a six-month prison sentence or a €45,000 fine if broken.
This law was used in 2019 to close a fund in support of gilets jaunes protester Christophe Dettinger, a former boxer who was convicted of punching two police officers. The platform, Leetchi, deemed the fund contrary to public order after an internal investigation and the €146,000 donations were returned to senders.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe told the French magazine Capital that the fund did not break any rules as the money would not go to fund the police officer’s legal fees or defence.
“The money will be directly given to the family, which has been added as a beneficiary,” they said.
Messiha was defiant on Monday, accusing “lefty progressives” of trying to block the fund.
“Our mobilisation for the family of Florian M and our respect for the rules have paid off,” he tweeted.
Sleeping Giants France, a citizens’ group set up to challenge the financing and spreading of hate, said the fund’s “sheer existence inflames the sentiment of injustice and furthers tensions”.
Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist party, also called for the collection to be stopped. “You are perpetuating a rift that’s already wide open, by taking part in the support of a police officer under investigation for culpable homicide. Close it!” he wrote.
Éric Ciotti of the centre-right Républicains said he understood the initiative: “I don’t find it shocking that we should support the family of a police officer who is going through a difficult time today.”
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, met the leaders of both houses of parliament on Monday as violent protests in France over the police shooting of Nahel appeared to ease after five nights of unrest, during which thousands of people have been arrested amid widespread destruction.
Fundraiser for French officer who killed teen raises over $1.5 million
By Niha Masih
July 4, 2023
A fundraiser for the family of the French officer who fatally shot a 17-year-old boy had raised more than $1.5 million early Tuesday, igniting fresh outrage in France after days of violent protests.
The GoFundMe campaign aimed to raise about $54,000 for the officer’s family but within four days had raised several times that amount, with donations pouring in from more than 46,000 people.
A similar fundraiser to help the mother of the victim — a teenager of North African descent, identified as Nahel M., who was killed during a traffic stop in a Parisian suburb last week — had collected just over $200,000 as of Monday, according to Le Monde.
The shooting led to a wave of violent protests across France, exposing deep divisions in the country as it grapples with the aftermath of a killing that has reignited a fraught debate about race, identity and police violence.
The GoFundMe campaign for the officer’s family was organized by Jean Messiha, who previously served as a spokesman for former far-right presidential candidate Éric Zemmour and expressed support for law enforcement and the officer, who is being investigated on a charge of intentional homicide.
How the killing of a teen fits into France’s history of police brutality
The fundraiser drew swift condemnation from several lawmakers and activists, who called for its immediate shutdown
Parliamentarian Éric Bothorel, a member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, described it as “indecent and scandalous,” while far-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot called for the GoFundMe page to be deleted. “Killing a young North African, in France in 2023, can earn you a lot of money,” she said on Twitter.
Olivier Faure of the Socialist Party also called on GoFundMe to shut down the page, saying it was facilitating a “shameful” action.
Sleeping Giants, a local activist group that fights online hate by pressuring companies to remove ads from conservative media outlets, questioned GoFundMe about whether the fundraiser violated its own terms.
Raising money for the legal defense of alleged “financial and violent crimes” is not allowed on GoFundMe, its terms state. On Twitter, Sleeping Giants asked the company how it would ensure that the money would not be used for this purpose.
The globally popular for-profit crowdfunding platform said the fund for the family of the French officer was not in violation of its policies.
“This fundraiser is within our terms of service as funds will be utilized to support the officer’s family,” a spokesperson for the company wrote in an email, adding that the money will be transferred directly to the family, which is listed as the beneficiary.
Tens of thousands of police officers have been deployed in response to the violent riots that exploded after the police killing of the 17-year-old. Municipal town halls, schools and vehicles were targeted and set on fire, and protesters lobbed fireworks at police officers. Over the weekend, authorities accused rioters of ramming a vehicle into the home of the mayor of a Parisian suburb, while officials in Beijing said that a bus carrying Chinese tourists was attacked during protests, resulting in several injuries.
On Sunday, the grandmother of the slain teenager appealed for calm and an end to the rioting.
By Niha Masih
July 4, 2023
A police officer runs past graffiti that reads “Justice for Nahel” last week in Paris. The police killing of a 17-year-old identified as Nahel M. sparked a wave of violent protests across France. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)
A fundraiser for the family of the French officer who fatally shot a 17-year-old boy had raised more than $1.5 million early Tuesday, igniting fresh outrage in France after days of violent protests.
The GoFundMe campaign aimed to raise about $54,000 for the officer’s family but within four days had raised several times that amount, with donations pouring in from more than 46,000 people.
A similar fundraiser to help the mother of the victim — a teenager of North African descent, identified as Nahel M., who was killed during a traffic stop in a Parisian suburb last week — had collected just over $200,000 as of Monday, according to Le Monde.
The shooting led to a wave of violent protests across France, exposing deep divisions in the country as it grapples with the aftermath of a killing that has reignited a fraught debate about race, identity and police violence.
The GoFundMe campaign for the officer’s family was organized by Jean Messiha, who previously served as a spokesman for former far-right presidential candidate Éric Zemmour and expressed support for law enforcement and the officer, who is being investigated on a charge of intentional homicide.
How the killing of a teen fits into France’s history of police brutality
The fundraiser drew swift condemnation from several lawmakers and activists, who called for its immediate shutdown
Parliamentarian Éric Bothorel, a member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, described it as “indecent and scandalous,” while far-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot called for the GoFundMe page to be deleted. “Killing a young North African, in France in 2023, can earn you a lot of money,” she said on Twitter.
Olivier Faure of the Socialist Party also called on GoFundMe to shut down the page, saying it was facilitating a “shameful” action.
Sleeping Giants, a local activist group that fights online hate by pressuring companies to remove ads from conservative media outlets, questioned GoFundMe about whether the fundraiser violated its own terms.
Raising money for the legal defense of alleged “financial and violent crimes” is not allowed on GoFundMe, its terms state. On Twitter, Sleeping Giants asked the company how it would ensure that the money would not be used for this purpose.
The globally popular for-profit crowdfunding platform said the fund for the family of the French officer was not in violation of its policies.
“This fundraiser is within our terms of service as funds will be utilized to support the officer’s family,” a spokesperson for the company wrote in an email, adding that the money will be transferred directly to the family, which is listed as the beneficiary.
Cop GoFundMe Raises More Money Than Victim'sFamily.
Leftist demonstrators hold a banner in front of the French embassy in Athens on July 3, 2023 in support of the French people protesting against the police shooting of a 17-year-old teenager.
Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty
Tens of thousands of police officers have been deployed in response to the violent riots that exploded after the police killing of the 17-year-old. Municipal town halls, schools and vehicles were targeted and set on fire, and protesters lobbed fireworks at police officers. Over the weekend, authorities accused rioters of ramming a vehicle into the home of the mayor of a Parisian suburb, while officials in Beijing said that a bus carrying Chinese tourists was attacked during protests, resulting in several injuries.
On Sunday, the grandmother of the slain teenager appealed for calm and an end to the rioting.
Grandmother of slain teen appeals for calm as protests roil France
“My heart aches,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters, when asked about the fundraising campaign for the officer involved in the shooting.
By Niha MasihNiha Masih is a reporter at The Washington Post's Seoul hub, where she covers breaking news in the United States and across the world. Previously, she was The Post's India correspondent where she covered the rise of majoritarian nationalism, conflict in Kashmir, the Covid crisis and digital surveillance of citizens. Twitter
“My heart aches,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters, when asked about the fundraising campaign for the officer involved in the shooting.
By Niha MasihNiha Masih is a reporter at The Washington Post's Seoul hub, where she covers breaking news in the United States and across the world. Previously, she was The Post's India correspondent where she covered the rise of majoritarian nationalism, conflict in Kashmir, the Covid crisis and digital surveillance of citizens. Twitter
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