A fundraiser set up to support the police officer in France accused of shooting a 17-year-old dead has reached over $1 million—more than five times the amount donated to his alleged victim’s grieving relatives. As of Monday, a GoFundMe set up by a right-wing media figure Jean Messiha to aid Florian M, the officer accused of killing Nahel Merzouk last week, has attracted almost €1,080,000 ($1,180,000), vastly more than the €189,000 ($200,000) raised for Merzouk’s loved ones. Speaking to BFMTV on Sunday, Merzouk’s grandmother, Nadia, said the family did not support the riots that have erupted across France in the wake of her grandchild’s death and addressed the fundraiser in support of his alleged killer. “I feel sick to my heart,” she said. “But he will be punished like everyone else. I trust in justice.” Messiha, who previously worked as an advisor to the reactionary politician Marine Le Pen, welcomed his fundraiser hitting its million-euro milestone on Monday. “Their world is collapsing. Ours is reborn,” he tweeted. “Thank you and well done!”
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