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.
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.
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
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.