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.
We could learn a thing or two from the French.
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 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.
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.
Pretty sure the French government ignored them anyway. Pension reform still went through.
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Yeah, sure, it’s not like the French are famous for protesting about everything.
Just looked at photos and there are all ethnicities present, including French people. You might want to take your racism elsewhere.
Good. The ruling class need to face consequences or they’ll never learn.
Yeah, I’m sure that little mom and pop patisseries are keeping the boot on the neck of the little guy.
I doubt bakeries get targeted lol cute try tho
Gucci and LV shops… Fuck 'em, who cares haha
Protesters have looted 200 stores and destroyed 300 bank branches and 250 smaller corner shops.
Quote from article. Must feel like a huge stab in the back when your shop gets run over and looted by fellow countrymen.
The only thing I reapect about fr*nce is their protest culture
Jk jk I’m sure there’s other stuff like baked goods or whatever. Great job with the riots guys.
Great job? They destroy and loot their own cities in name of “protest”. This is not a protest, this is shameless looting and destruction.
It is their cities and they do as they please.
Government needs to learn the good old classic…
Fuck around, find out.
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
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.
I feel sorry for the innocent people that lost so much due to this “protest”.
no you don’t
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.
This WHOLE ENTIRE talking point, in effect, takes away from THE POINT OF THE PROTEST.
The points of the protest are the eroding of everyone’s quality of life because of an uppermost class AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM
I thought this was about police violence? But sure. Oh and p.s, from a rational point of view, the pension age cannot stand as is, and must be increased to ensure pension for all
Oh and p.s, from a rational point of view, the pension age cannot stand as is, and must be increased to ensure pension for all
This terrible opinion is why you keep hitting that “BUT THE LOOTING11!1” lever lol
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Why can’t americans be like the french? Protests have to cause damage to be effective!
What a cesspit of racists promoting violence. I did not expect this. I expected people who value safety and civility. There are protests and there are riots. There’s justice and there’s setting fire to the mayor’s house, injuring his family. There’s a democratic state, and an angry mob destroying stuff. There’s innocent kid, and an unknown individual at the wheel of a ton of high-speed steel illegally in a city full of people. These “cars” by the way, have the biggest violent death toll in developed countries. Guns? Heck no!
I am so disappointed.
There are no safe and sane riots. This is how rioting goes. I don’t take part in riots, but I understand that it is the language of the unheard (much in the same way that war is “diplomacy by other means,” rioting is what happens when protests don’t work).
There were no protests. No lawsuits, no nothing. Straight to violence.
And people here actually believe that it’s good to hurt other people, as if that fixes the death of one person. Horrible in every way. Shameful and disgusting.
Do you have any idea how many people are killed by the police when they are unarmed? Here it was blatent murder, and if it wasn’t for the video leaked on social media the cop would face absolutely no consequences.
Murderers place is in jail. When justice fail, the social contract is broken. When the social contract is broken, there is no peace or discussion.
Neither France nor the USA were built on peaceful protests. At some point, the idiot in charge has to understand how it goes.
Do you have any idea how many people are killed by the police when they are unarmed?
Fewer than armed people killing other people when the police isn’t there. If that ain’t true then obviously the police should be disbanded. And since you haven’t brought up any data, I will bring it, from the latest news. 15 incidents like that, in France, in the last year. And according to data I found for 2016, there were around 1500 total gun deaths (about 100 times more).
So yeah, I have an idea. Do you?
Here it was blatent murder
A person was killed. Whether it was murder or manslaughter, is not up to you to decide because you have no degree in law in France.
and if it wasn’t for the video leaked on social media the cop would face absolutely no consequences.
Ok, so the cop will face consequences now. Isn’t that the goal? Why hurt other people that have nothing to do with it? Your reasoning is completely absent here.
When justice fail, the social contract is broken
Who is gonna carry out justice for all the assholes that hurt people in these riots? Shall we play the escalation game just to satisfy your weird revenge boner?
When the social contract is broken, there is no peace or discussion.
So your solution is to escalate violence endlessly. slow clap
Neither France nor the USA were built on peaceful protests.
You don’t know history very well, do you? You’re comparing authoritarian regimes with democratic ones now.
Your data is considering suicides… And a cop killing someone is also a murder, so it will go in the stats of people killed by gunshot.
So yes, cops are actually responsible for 15% of murders in France with guns. We can also say that cops kill more than terrorism.
If you’re fine with this, there’s no point discussing further.
I explicitly said that I’m all for justice. You are being dishonest with your last statement, which is an emotional reaction that is completely unnecessary. Cool down.
So if your sources are correct, then when comparing the organization that should have the monopoly on violence, to how much violence they enact, it’s 15%,… it’s kinda dumb, isn’t it? It’s dumb to expect the organization with the monopoly on violence to enact an order of magnitude less violence than the “competitors”.
Man the monopoly of violence is certainly not the right to murder unarmed people! Do you realize what you’re saying?!
Nonviolent protests don’t work. GTFO capitalist shill
So if I abhor violence and people getting hurt, suddenly I’m a “capitalist shill”.
Speaks volumes of your intellect, I must say
