French police describe rebellious proletarian youth as “savage hordes of vermin”—protests continue
https://redherald.org/2023/07/02/french-police-describes-rebelling-proletarian-youth-as-savage-hordes-of-vermin-protests-continue/
"Red Pioneer"
July 2, 2023
We have made some revisions to the English translation of the original Spanish text, dated July 3.
On June 27, a police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M. in the Nanterre working-class community of Paris sparked large-scale riots. Despite the deployment of 45,000 police officers, including counter-terrorism special forces, to suppress the unrest, clashes continue. Especially some working-class youth taking to the streets, with riots spreading to many major cities. The state has deployed armored vehicles to crack down on the riots. “All means” are being considered, including declaring a state of emergency. Curfews have been imposed, with public transport shut down after 9 p.m. The President Macron previously called on parents to keep children at home, and the Minister of Justice Éric Dupont-Moretti recently hysterically threatened families, stating that minors under 18 going out at night will face fines up to 30,000 euros or even imprisonment. He also said that inciting rebellion on social media will be prosecuted. On Sunday morning, French authorities claimed that the situation was “relatively calm” that night, thanks to the actions of the 45,000 police officers deployed. However, this statement seems overly optimistic: clashes erupted again, especially in Marseille, where street confrontations between youth and police continued into the late night. On Saturday, police described encountering “guerrilla-style” scenes in Marseille and called the situation “apocalyptic.” Six public buildings in Paris were burned, and five police officers injured. In the suburbs of Paris, protesters drove cars into the mayor’s residence in Laï-Le-Rhône and set it on fire. Riots also broke out in other major cities. Nationwide, 719 people were arrested. Police also admitted they could not declare victory, and the unrest would continue. Even if spontaneous protests eventually subside, it does not mean the state has won or that revolutionary situations have eased, as recent history of uprisings in France and worldwide shows.
The riots have also spread to French Guiana, with reports of clashes, damage to buildings and vehicles. In Cayenne, Guyana, protesters pointed guns at police.
Police openly express hatred towards rebellious youth: on Friday, they declared they are at war with “savage hordes of vermin”. Furthermore, two major police unions demanded the government take harsher measures to restore order, or they would incite rebellion. Macron cautiously tried to distance the state from the murder case, blaming a small “rotten apple,” despite police executing the national interest and being under its control. Police also complained that they dare not patrol in the suburbs, because local residents resist them daily. After the 17-year-old’s death, Deputy Secretary-General of the French Police Union Bruno Attal said he would rather see a “scumbag” die than a police officer. In the media, this teenager was portrayed as a “problem youth.” However, the police’s claim of self-defense is increasingly being exposed: recently, a passenger in Nahel’s car came forward with audio recordings of the incident. According to witnesses, Nahel’s foot was lifted from the brake because police shot at him, causing the car to move forward. The police’s statement reflects a war launched by the state against the people in the suburbs, a war that has lasted for decades, with Nahel just another victim. Similarly, youth protests are not only against police but also against the state machinery itself, as evidenced by several burned government buildings, representing another aspect of the revolutionary situation in France’s uneven development.
Beyond France and its colonies, protests have also erupted in Belgium and Switzerland. In Belgium, protesters attacked police with fireworks and set vehicles on fire, with at least 10 arrests. In Lausanne, Switzerland, people took to the streets and clashed with police, with at least a dozen arrests. Thus, there is potential for similar explosive events in other European countries, which worries the bourgeoisie: for example, Andreas Jung, Vice Chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany, said: “Without a stable France, Europe cannot be stable.”
Faced with the revolutionary situation in France, contradictions are sharpening, and revisionist and opportunist positions are fully exposed. For example, as a party that has abandoned proletarian political struggle for decades and focused on state reformism, the French Communist Party (PCF) denies the necessity of struggle. General Secretary Fabien Roussel wrote on social media that “the left” defends “public services,” not “robbery.” Moreover, in their official statement, they condemned the protests again, calling the June 29 (Thursday) demonstrations “large-scale, dignified, and peaceful mobilizations,” while also sending greetings to Nanterre’s mayor. They attribute the cause of the murder to “neoliberal policies,” and call for opposing these measures through elections in the context of a young man’s killing. However, the French Communist Party did not mention that Nanterre’s mayor, Patrick Jarry, was a member of the party for 25 years until he founded the Nanterre Citizens Left (Gauche citoyenne a Nanterre) in 2010, which also claims to be “Communist.” Finally, his statement condemned “all violence against persons and property,” and said that “those responsible (note: participants in the protests) must be punished.”
The class stance of the French Communist Party (PCF) is clear. In the face of a young man’s killing by police (not an isolated incident), the PCF blames political opponents and “neoliberalism,” attempting to weaken opposition in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Additionally, they condemn violence, asserting that bourgeois private property rights take precedence over the right to resist.
The stance of “Unbowed France” (LFI) aligns with that of the French Communist Party (PCF). While not explicitly condemning the riots, they blame the “right-wing forces” of the police. Their leader Mélenchon accused the security forces of “murderous behavior” on social media. As a measure to resolve the political crisis, “Unbowed France” (LFI) proposes implementing an “emergency plan.” Their measures also focus on reforming security forces. They propose establishing a “Justice and Truth” commission to investigate the events, developing police training programs, and restoring the 1986 police code of ethics. Additionally, they suggest using public funds to repair damaged businesses, residences, and public buildings. Although “Unbowed France” (LFI) does not explicitly oppose, their measures still have anti-worker class characteristics. The nature of the state and police is being fractured, seeking election solutions favorable to themselves in the next election. Furthermore, repairing the damages caused by this event with public funds is a strategy to pressure protesters.
On the other hand, parties claiming to be “anti-capitalist” have not adopted radically different rhetoric. The issue is not imperialism and the ongoing attacks on the poorest workers, but the specific manifestations of these attacks. The New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) joins “Unbowed France” (LFI) in pointing out that Nahel’s cold-blooded murder was due to police racism, and that’s why they acted this way. They also add that police misconduct goes unpunished, and thus they hold Macron and Darmanin responsible, demanding the resignation of the Minister of the Interior. They conclude their statement by calling for the killers to be convicted, for victims’ families to be compensated, for community public transportation to be restored, for detainees to be released, for the state of emergency to be abolished, and for police disarmament “in cooperation with the people.”
Overall, the opportunist and revisionist left in France have taken a “peaceful” stance. Even if they defend protests (as the French Communist Party does), their ultimate goal remains ending protests through parliamentary reform. Their proposed measures only aim to change the nature of the repression apparatus (especially the police), while maintaining the exploitation and repression system against France’s poorest masses.
Moreover, these parties that do not criticize the uprising do so because they believe the reaction to the killing of a 17-year-old boy is understandable—not because the oppressed masses’ resistance is always justified by imperialist oppression. Given the current revolutionary global situation, due to the profound crisis of imperialism, general strikes, protests, and uprisings in France and worldwide will continue even after this specific struggle ends.
