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.
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.
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.
The only thing I reapect about fr*nce is their protest culture
Great job? They destroy and loot their own cities in name of “protest”. This is not a protest, this is shameless looting and destruction.
This is not a protest, this is shameless looting and destruction.
You guys have the same talking points wherever you are.
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If you fk around trying to wind back social benefits to please like 5% of top incone receivers you FIND OUT when they break stuff.
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the vast MAJORITY of breaking stuff has been proven in the US to be right-winger provocateurs.
You are aware that the shops and infrastructure they are destroying have no influence on social security nor policy, right? You are also aware that most shops are family owned businesses that already struggle to make ends meet, and face similar issues as the people rioting? There are ways to protest and revolt against a government, that don’t include stealing or breaking public infrastructure. I don’t get why people think stealing is warranted when you tag protest on it.
It is their cities and they do as they please.
Government needs to learn the good old classic…
Fuck around, find out.
Yeah they are really showing the government … I feel sorry for the innocent people that lost so much due to this “protest”. People’s cars burned down, family owned businesses had their shops looted and cannot make any money for the next couple of weeks, people relying on public infrastructure cannot use it.
Oh yes, the governemnt will tremble in fear, looking at the people destroying their own streets, while watching them from the top of the ivory tower. :D
Don’t be such a pussy. You’ll let people step all over you if you’re afraid to fight back.
Ah the mighty keyboard warrior.
What you are basically implying is that you are a “pussy” when you don’t rob stores and destroy other peoples property? Don’t like the government, vote for something else, or start a party yourself. If we allow people that are mad about anything to simply start destroying things and stealing stuff, then we are far from a society I want to live in.
I wish we had the same mentality as French when it comes to protesting. Here people generally complain in a pub while drinking beer.
I get your point. Actively contributing to politics either by joining a party or by protesting is supporting democracy.
But looting stores and robbing people en masse only discredits peaceful protests.
I agree, looting stores is not the way to go. But peaceful protests are way to easy to just ignore
The purpose of a protest is to show that you have the numbers for a riot. If the people in power know you’ll never follow through on it, they can ignore you.
It sounds like France can’t afford to raise the pension age.
Killer Mike said it best,
Don’t criticize rioting because I understand it. But after the fires die down: organize, strategize and mobilize. Like Ferguson, you have an opportunity to start anew. I don’t have a solution because whoever’s there will have to come up with it. But we need community relations: Riots are the language of the unheard.
