Mbappé Calls on Protesters to Reflect

PSG forward Kylian Mbappé has issued a statement in the wake of unrest following the police shooting of a 17-year-old in France.

“Like all French citizens, we are shocked by the brutal death of young Nael. Our thoughts are with him and his family, to whom we express our sincere condolences. It is clear that one cannot remain indifferent to the circumstances surrounding this unacceptable death. After this tragic incident, we witnessed an expression of public anger, the essence of which we understand, but we cannot condone the manner in which it has been expressed.

As many of us come from working-class neighborhoods, we share these feelings of pain and sadness. However, alongside this suffering, there is a process of self-destruction. Violence resolves nothing, especially when it is inevitably directed against the very protesters, their families, friends, and neighbors. The time for violence must come to an end to make way for mourning, dialogue, and healing,” wrote Mbappé on his Twitter page.