In an opinion piece, the famous American newspaper notes that the death of a teenage boy in a shooting by French police “triggered a revolt across the country against police violence and racism”.
“Over the past few nights, protests have erupted dramatically” in France, the publication adds, noting that in Toulouse, Lille, Marseille and Paris, groups of protesters ransacked police stations and looted or vandalized dozens companies, throwing Molotov cocktails at public buildings and riot police.
Nearly a thousand people were arrested following these revolts, underlines the daily, which notes that “the anger shows no sign of appeasement”.
Nahel’s murder, which to many looked more like a summary execution, exposed the most extreme form of police brutality that has long targeted communities of color in France,” the publication notes.
This drama “also acted as a catalyst for the discontent simmering throughout the country”, underlines the same source, who notes that for President Emmanuel Macron, “this is a new blow to his authority, since he was once again forced to face a France on fire”.
“The government rarely seizes the opportunity to seriously tackle the problem of police violence”, recalls the daily, which believes that “part of the problem lies in Mr. Macron’s relationship with the police”.
“Since coming to power in 2017, the president has relied on the police force, consolidating their central role in French political life,” the publication explains, adding that “the wave of protests rejecting Mr. Macron – the most recent being that of the pension system – was countered by a massive recourse to the police”.
“Even in the midst of a pandemic, the police have been the frontline enforcers of Mr. Macron’s bans and strict curfews,” the newspaper recalls, noting that “now that law enforcement is at the center of a national controversy, it is not surprising that Mr Macron’s hands are tied”.
2023-07-02 06:15:33
#France #fire #York #Times #Atlasinfo
