Salah Gaham was a French concierge who died during the civil unrest in France

2005 civil unrest in France

The 2005 civil unrest in France of October and November was a series of riots by mostly Muslim North African youths in Paris and other French cities, involving mainly the burning of cars and public buildings at night starting on 27 October 2005 in Clichy-sous-Bois...

, in 2005.

Life

Salah Gaham was born on 27 August 1971 in the Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

n city of Annaba

Annaba

Annaba is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the river Seybouse. It is located in Annaba Province. With a population of 257,359 , it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria....

. After his birth, his family moved to Vesoul

Vesoul

Vesoul is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.The town is the capital of the department, its inhabitants are known in French as Vésuliens.-Notable people:...

 (Haute-Saône

Haute-Saône

Haute-Saône is a French department of the Franche-Comté région, named after the Saône River.- History :The department was created in the early years of the French Revolution through the application of a law dated 22 December 1789, from part of the former province of Franche-Comté...

), France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. Soon after, Salah found a job in the area of Planoise

Planoise

Planoise is a fairly recently developed area of Besançon , built in the 1960s and located to the west of the city, between the hill of Planoise and the district of Hauts-de-Chazal. With 21,000 inhabitants it is the most populous district of the city...

 and moved to Besançon

Besançon

Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...

. He began working as a security officer for the Forum, a building located in Cassin.

Death

On the night of November 2, 2005, three cars were burned in the basement of the Forum. Gaham attempted to extinguish the fire and fell unconscious due to smoke inhalation. Firefighters attempted to resuscitate Gaham but were unsuccessful. Gaham died at the age of thirty four; his was the first death caused by the period of civil unrest.

The mayor honored Gaham by placing his name on a local street near the Forum. The street is called Salah Gaham square and is marked by a commemorative plaque.