Enduring Pattern: French Riots Echo Long-standing Rage without Resolution

By IndraStra Global Editorial Team

Cover Image Attribute: During the ongoing fifth day of protests following the tragic demise of Nahel Merzouk, a French firefighter diligently endeavors to quell the flames engulfing a car. / Source: REUTERS

French riots have consistently followed a distinct pattern that has continued since protests first erupted in the Eastern suburbs of Lyon in 1981, a period famously referred to as the "summer of Minguettes." Although always surprising, these incidents adhere to a recognizable sequence of events. Typically, the catalyst is the tragic death or severe injury of a young individual at the hands of the police. This tragic occurrence serves as a trigger, unleashing a wave of violence that engulfs the affected neighborhood and neighboring areas. In certain instances, such as the 2005 riots and more recent incidents, multiple rough neighborhoods become embroiled in turmoil simultaneously.
In France over the past four decades, young people's rage and frustration have primarily been the driving forces behind urban uprisings. They direct their outrage toward symbols of authority and the state, often targeting town halls, social centers, schools, and shops. These acts of violence are expressive, reflecting the deep-rooted discontent and grievances marginalized youth hold towards established societal structures and institutions.

A Void in Institutions and Politics

The anger exhibited in these riots often leads individuals to inflict destruction upon their own neighborhoods in full view of the public. While residents condemn these acts, they can also comprehend the underlying motivations. Elected officials, community organizations, religious institutions, social workers, and educators openly admit their powerlessness, revealing a significant void in both institutional and political support.
Among all the uprisings, the events of the Minguettes summer stood out as the only one to pave the way for a broader social movement: the March for Equality and Against Racism in December 1983. This historic demonstration, attracting over 100,000 participants and receiving extensive media coverage, marked France's inaugural manifestation of its kind. The left-leaning publication Libération dubbed it "La Marche des Beurs," using a colloquial term referring to individuals of European descent whose parents or grandparents originated from the Maghreb region. However, subsequent riots failed to give rise to similar widespread movements.
During each wave of unrest, politicians swiftly assume their well-rehearsed roles: the right denounces the violence while simultaneously stigmatizing neighborhoods and victims of police brutality, and the left denounces injustice and pledges social policies for these communities. In the 2005 riots, the then Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy aligned himself with the police. Presently, France's President Emmanuel Macron has expressed empathy for the young man killed by the police in Nanterre. However, the voices of politicians and presidents are rarely heard within the affected neighborhoods.
Following the riots, there is a period of silence before the issues affecting the banlieues (French suburbs) and their interactions with the police are once again in the public eye. Society rediscovers these issues once more during these times, resulting in a cyclical pattern of concern and neglect.

Valuable Lessons to be Drawn 

The recurring instances of urban riots in France and their associated circumstances offer several noteworthy lessons.
Firstly, it becomes apparent that the urban policies implemented in the country have not achieved their intended objectives. Over the course of the past 40 years, substantial efforts have been made to enhance housing conditions and infrastructure. There have been improvements in the quality of apartments, the establishment of social centers, schools, colleges, and the availability of public transportation. It would be inaccurate to assert that these neighborhoods have been entirely neglected.
However, the social and cultural diversity within disadvantaged suburbs has experienced a decline. More often than not, residents of these areas face financial insecurity or poverty and are either descendant of immigrants or immigrants themselves.
Notably, when individuals have the means and opportunity, they often choose to leave these banlieues (suburbs) behind. Unfortunately, this exodus is typically followed by an influx of even more economically disadvantaged residents from other regions. Consequently, while there may be improvements in the physical environment, the social fabric continues to unravel.
Despite the hesitance to address the issue of France's disadvantaged neighborhoods, the ongoing social process is undeniably one of ghettoization. This process entails the growing division between neighborhoods and their surrounding environments, leading to a self-contained existence reinforced internally. Within these neighborhoods, people attend the same schools, socialize with the same individuals, and participate in a parallel economy, which may operate within legal or illegal boundaries.
Notwithstanding the financial investments and genuine efforts of local representatives, residents of these neighborhoods persistently encounter feelings of marginalization within society based on their origins, culture, or religion. Moreover, although social policies have been implemented and councilors have made significant efforts, these neighborhoods still lack the necessary institutional and political resources of their own.
Previously, the often communist-led "banlieues rouges" ("red suburbs") enjoyed strong support from left-leaning political parties, trade unions, and popular education movements. In contrast, today's banlieues struggle to find advocates who can effectively voice their concerns. Although social workers and teachers possess good intentions, many of them do not reside in the neighborhoods where they work.
This disconnect between the residents and those who represent them works in both directions. Recent riots have demonstrated that elected officials and associations have limited influence in neighborhoods where residents feel overlooked and abandoned. Appeals for calm often fall on deaf ears. The divide extends beyond the social realm and encompasses political dimensions as well.

A Recurring confrontation

In light of these observations, we are witnessing an increasingly frequent clash between young people and the police. These two groups operate like opposing "gangs," each harboring their own animosities and claiming their territories.
Within this complex landscape, the state is reduced to exercising legal violence, while young people are often labeled as actual or potential delinquents. The police are commonly perceived as "mechanically" racist, as any young person is automatically viewed as a suspect. Consequently, there is a deep-seated animosity among young people towards law enforcement, which further fuels police prejudice and escalates youth violence. Older residents, on the other hand, desire a greater police presence to maintain order but also express understanding for the frustrations and anger felt by their own children.
This ongoing "war" typically manifests at a simmering intensity. However, when a young person tragically loses their life, tensions escalate, and the situation resets until the next wave of unrest, which never fails to catch us off guard.
Yet, amidst this tragic cycle, there are new elements emerging. Firstly, there is a rise in far-right ideologies, extending beyond the traditional boundaries of the political spectrum. Racist narratives surrounding the uprisings are gaining traction, often interweaving discussions of "barbarians" and immigration. There is a concerning fear that such sentiments may gain electoral support.
Secondly, the political left appears to be caught in a state of political and intellectual paralysis. While it condemns injustice and occasionally supports the riots, it has not put forth any substantial political solutions beyond advocating for police reform.
As long as the process of ghettoization persists, with France's young population continually at odds with security forces, it becomes challenging to envision a future where another instance of police misconduct and subsequent riots is not just around the corner. The repetition of this cycle reinforces the urgent need for comprehensive and effective interventions to address the underlying issues that perpetuate this ongoing confrontation.

IndraStra Global is now available on
Apple News, Google News, Flipboard, RSS, and Telegram

COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html