The new wave of unrest in France; What are the demands of the protesters?
In recent years, violent protests and police brutality have been repeated many times in France; The protests that started last December with the killing of three Kurdish citizens by an armed person and culminated with the reform of the pension law.
About three months ago, when Nael Marzouq, a teenager, was killed by the police during an inspection, this protest wave started again and hit most French cities.
The killing of this 17-year-old Algerian teenager revealed the depth of institutionalized racism in France; A problem that has always existed in this country and its rulers have imposed the most severe obstacles and restrictions on ethnic-racial and religious minorities, especially the Muslim minority of this country.
A fire that did not go out
Now, three months have passed since that incident, the flame of people’s anger has not subsided and in recent days, thousands of people in France took to the streets against police brutality, and about 100 protest events were held across the country. They complain about systemic racism, police brutality, and growing social inequality that particularly afflicts suburbanites.
During the recent protests, three police officers were injured and six people were arrested. According to published reports, the demonstration was held at the same time as the presence of Pope Francis, the leader of the world Catholics, in the port city of Marseille, but this event took place in a security environment and under strict security measures.
The France 24 television channel also announced that the massive demonstrations in this country had the support of 150 prominent figures of French cinema, including Justin Trier, the director of Palme d’Or 2023.
Al-Mayadeen network website also took a statistical look at these protests and wrote that tens of thousands of people demonstrated against police brutality in several French cities, including Paris, in which three police officers were partially killed following an attack that targeted their car. were injured According to the statement of the French Ministry of Interior, about 31,300 people protested across the country, 9,000 of them gathered in Paris.
This is the claim of the French Ministry of Interior while the General Confederation of Labor announced that the number of demonstrators reached about 80,000 people, including 15,000 people in the capital; An issue that shows that the authorities of the French government are trying to make protest gatherings look small and insignificant.
The demands of the protesters and the violent behavior of the police
The protesters are demanding stricter laws on the use of firearms by the police, the creation of an independent investigative body into crimes within the police, and comprehensive government investment in socially disadvantaged areas of the city.
Macron’s obstinacy in raising the retirement age showed that there is no ear to listen to opposing voices. Therefore, a country that has turned a deaf ear to its claim of democracy is not ready to listen to the demands of its people; Sufferings that have doubled after the crisis in Ukraine and lack of energy in Europe.
Another reason for the continuation and intensification of protests is due to the performance of the French police and security forces, who are known as the most violent police in Europe, and their violent actions lead to the reproduction of violence.
The French police, as one of the most armed police in Europe, has a variety of equipment such as grenades, tear gas and non-lethal hand weapons such as the “Flashball” gun; Even sometimes tools that are classified as war equipment.
Therefore, the equipment of the French police, including grenades, water cannons, tear gas, batons, tonfas and firearms, caused almost all the injuries to the protesters during the recent protests in this country.
Human rights organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe and Amnesty International, have previously criticized the violent behavior of the French police against protesters, especially during the protests against the pension law reforms this year.
These criticisms are raised especially when, according to Sébastien Roche, an expert researcher on police performance at the French National Center for Scientific Research, many EU member states have long implemented de-escalation policies, and theoretically with higher accountability and fewer weapons they act against the protesters. There is a big difference between the performance of France and its large European neighbors; Even countries that are facing mass protests.
Reports indicate that since November 2018 and the beginning of the yellow vest movement, the use of “Flash ball” weapons has resulted in the injury of 620 people and the permanent amputation of 29 people, and 28% of the victims of police brutality in these protests are also from the head. have been targeted
During the yellow vest protests in France, 11 people were killed and 2,495 people were injured. (5 people had their hands amputated, 24 people lost their eyes, and 268 people suffered skull damage) The cost of damages is estimated at 1.5 million euros.
Experience has shown that French police violence has not helped to reduce the number and intensity of protests.
The roots of the current violent protests in France can be found in addition to the post-crisis economic woes of Ukraine, in issues such as Macron’s disregard for people’s demands, the violent actions of the police, as well as systematic and institutional discrimination against religious and ethnic-racial minorities; A country that has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights at least five times in the past 6 years due to physical abuse by police forces.