Macron’s dance with Elton John and the rebellion in France, a revolt on the axis of racism and inequality!
In a sense, France has a historical tradition of uprisings and street incidents. Such a tradition has always existed in France. There are even guidebooks on how to rebel in France. From the Storming of the Bastille to the French Revolution and up to the present day, hundreds of uprisings and street incidents have taken place in France.
Many of these actions represent the struggles for rights and justice of the poor people living in the suburbs, students, and farmers. French rebellions target either the regime or its economic, financial, and social policies.
In recent years, under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, France has been regularly struggling with uprisings. The Yellow Vests, which began in 2008, were the first, followed by protests against tax reform, retirement reform, and the uprising of farmers. Most recently, a deadly armed attack occurred after the traffic stop of a 17-year-old named Nahel of Algerian origin, which further increased tensions between the police and minorities and immigrants living in low-income areas known for racial profiling.
While the poor people living in the suburbs are exposed to racism, injustice, and poor living conditions, their anger towards Emmanuel Macron, who attended Elton John’s concert, does not subside. The oppressed in France have turned the streets of the country’s major cities into burning infernos.
Data from the Ministry of the Interior regarding the recent incidents indicates that the situation is deteriorating. According to the Ministry, 1311 people have been arrested, 2560 fires have been set, 1350 vehicles have been set on fire, and 234 buildings have been set ablaze or damaged. It is striking that the 50,000 law enforcement personnel, including special units, have proven ineffective in dealing with the events.
The high level of anger caused by the government’s neglect of long-standing economic and social problems in France and the constant discrimination experienced by certain groups leads to societal explosions at every opportunity. Although some of the participants in the street protests genuinely protest against Nahel’s killing, there is also a significant number of people on the streets with the aim of looting and using the incidents on social media.
Another point that people ignore is a 17-year-old child living in a poor neighborhood getting into a luxury car and not complying with the police’s order to stop. What is a luxury car doing with him? Does he have something wrong or illegal going on? Nobody should die because they didn’t comply with the order to stop, but it is important to approach the events objectively.
However, this incident has almost turned into a civil war, with the rich and poor divide being presented as the main factor and merging with the idea of inequality and racial discrimination in France. Alongside those genuinely demanding rights and justice, there are also groups taking advantage of the situation for looting and theft. Over 50,000 police officers are on active duty, and military resources have been mobilized to suppress the uprising. If the situation does not calm down soon, a state of emergency will be the only solution. In addition to these aspects, the involvement of far-right extremists who defend their police and military against the rebels also takes the chaos to different levels.
Written by Umut Guner