A French community honors a teen killed by police. Political and racial tensions are the backdrop

Associated Press

NANTERRE, France (AP) — The mother of a French teenager with North African origins killed by police held a silent march to mark one year since his death. The shooting sparked shock, disbelief and days of rioting and looting across France. The march comes at a politically fraught time. Hate speech is blighting the campaign for snap parliamentary elections taking place this weekend. The anti-immigration party National Rally is leading in the polls. The party wants to boost police powers to use their weapons and has historic ties to racism and antisemitism. Family members and friends are gathering in the Paris suburb of Nanterre to remember 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk.