Social media users criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for attending an Elton John concert on Wednesday, while protests rage across France in response to a police shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old.
“France … This is scary,” one user wrote on Twitter. “Ordinary citizens are now being dragged from their vehicles and attacked. Where is Macron? At an Elton John concert dancing the night away while his nation is on fire.”
Macron urged parents to keep their teenagers indoors in an effort to avoid further violence — hours before footage surfaced of Macron dancing at the British musician’s concert.
“Macron dancing in Elton John’s concert while Paris was burning — what has happened to the leaders of these days?” Uppsala University professor Ashok Swain asked.
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Riots first broke out earlier this week after footage emerged of a French police officer shooting a 17-year-old boy named Nahel, who was of Algerian heritage. The teen was seated in his car at a traffic stop when the officer fired his gun, appearing to show no signs of aggression or threat. The officer said he shot his weapon because he was worried the boy would run someone over with his car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache, per CNN.
Since then, France has banned demonstrations, limited travel and closed cinemas early in some cities. Many videos have surfaced of violence between police and protestors during the riots.
View more reactions to Macron’s outing below: