Just weeks after hugely disruptive protests and strikes over pension reforms in France finally died down, businesses in the country are grappling with the fallout from a week of rioting.
Just weeks after hugely disruptive protests and strikes over pension reforms in France finally died down, businesses in the country are grappling with the fallout from a week of rioting.
For those who don’t know, while previous tensions regarding the recent pension protests are most likely not helping the current situation, these riots are about a cop murdering a 17 years old in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Mainstream media pushed the narrative that it was the fault of the parents if the teenager was a thug and tried to present the kid as a dangerous individual (while he had some issues with the law, his lawyer insisted he didn’t have a criminal record). The cop in question claimed the teen tried to ram him with his car and shot him out of self defense. Multiple videos of the event emerged and the police officer’s claim turned out to be a complete lie (he even threatened to put a bullet in his head if he didn’t comply for not having his license or something like that). Apparently, this is the kind of story that happens quite a lot in these parts of France, but now that videos of it emerged it caused the current outrage.
Now the government is claiming the riots are caused by social medias and video games and two police unions wrote a press release declaring war on these “hordes sauvages” (savages hordes) and “nuisibles” (harmful/detrimental) referring to the people of Naterre by all means necessary. (Some politicians from the oppositions are quite disturbed by it).
I’m not French, but that’s what I got from multiple reports so far, I might be missing some details.
To add insult to injury, supporters of the police officer raised a crowdfund. It is now above 1.5 million €.
During the “gilets jaunes” protests, one participant boxed a riot police unit (in full riot suit) & got arrested. A crowdfund was opened to help him. The government cancelled the funds within 48 hours.
The French government is sending the clear message that “it’s okay for French police to kill people; even better if they are minorities (arabs,muslims,…)” and they will always get the support of the state. Disgusting.
As an european, don’t downvote me, i’m trying to show to you a different point of view. This sum for the police officer is huge, that’s mean that the people are really angry. ( yes this is more and more before these riots ) . Far right parties all around europe are gaining traction ( a lot ) and far right parties that seems too light on immigration are been replaced by other more extemists parties ( see poland ). I don’t think that this american point of view is welcomed by a growing part of european population. Politicians with lesser pro rioters views , like melenchon are targeted as left-islamists by member of the center wing of governement. See that like a sort of troubles in northern ireland, but bigger, with more ideological differences.
It’s truly disappointing to see that, as an American, this is what France is now. French troops saved my grandpa (AA) back in WWII when they were a more racially progressive country than the USA and I always looked up to them for that. Black POWs would often be mysteriously “killed in the camps” right before being rescued by American troops, but the French troops found him first.
I’m glad many are rioting over this. That is the France I know.
I don’t think France is any more or less racist than the US at any point. France has been multicultural, more receptive to people of colour, and did not officially have racial segregation, but they still treated non-white French as second class citizens albeit low key. The fact that France had colonies and fought hard to keep them after World War II despite postwar economic devastation showed they have still been discriminatory. The French government in the 60s was nearly couped by ultranationalist army officers for granting independence to Algeria. Even today, there are many French who are ultranationalists and there is a reason why Marine Le Pen won 40% of the French population.
There’s a lot of racism in France, just like any country.
But it doesn’t take the same form as in the USA and the history and the cause are different.
It’s also why we shouldn’t imitate the USA on it, same word, different reality
That’s what I’m saying. Each countries are not necessarily anymore or less racist. Some places are more overt, while others are subtle.
This is just another data point that French police and government are in repression mode. Let’s not forget also how they attacked firefighters during their protests in 2020: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/french-police-clash-with-firefighters-during-paris-protest
*Far right leaning mainstream media.
Fucking insane. I am sad riots stopped so early
Don’t be sad, we are currently preparing the revolution. Might take from 5 to 10 years