brits1

Hi, Over the weekend we have had plenty of news reports from France in regards to the current and all the reports (mostly by French reporters) are saying that the majority of the troubles happening now is because the police are biased towards the “ethnic” population and it certainly did not paint France in a good way and I just wanted to know is this accurate reporting or is it like in a lot European countries at the moment, a media which is biased to a “leftist” view and not a media which takes reports from all options and views? I hope everything calms down soon and works out for the good of everyone.

EU.flag

Accurate reporting ?
If you dont like news report sources, why not stick to right wing news media? GB News/dailymail will be more to your likening.
Chose your own poison.

cyrian

Hi
I don't see the difference with the current situation in France and the 2011 London riots following the police shooting of a suspect.
The shooting was in the Tottenham area but the riots were organised in different parts of London by mobile phone apps.
I was in the Clapham area of London and the local shops were looted by a mob who were taking the opportunity simply to profit from the chaos.
The local Currys shop was cleared of electronics.
The minority population in France is the North African population (former colonies) who often live in ghetto areas in large towns like Paris or Marseille.
The National Rally (National Front) political party have a strong following in the South of France e.g. Marseille where there is a large North African population and a lot of resentment from the local French population
The relationship between the police and the North African population is similar to that between the black population in England and the police.
The French police can be very agressive and are not like the British "bobby".

Moses2013

I suppose it depends which country is reporting. I said it in the Guns and shootings thread and the problems in France have been going on for years now. In Paris cars burn when it's New Year, when it's the 1st of May or when a football team plays. It has nothing to do with the whole police and while this is a tragic case and there are bad individuals, we just have to look at society. The more diverse a population becomes the more problems you have, especially when the government have no strategy. Unless the laws are clear and the same for all, everyone will try and play the victim card the way they want. I remember living in Germany and there were several Turkish football clubs in the league that didn't allow non-Turkish to play for the team, the Germans would then question why that is allowed. Simple things like this can trigger wider problems and eventually we all blame each other. I don't see it getting any better and thanks to the Internet even Africans who have never been to France believe all French are racist. You just need a Facebook page like Goal, DM etc. and everyone can comment and create a shitstorm.

philat98

The trouble spread to Belgium and Switzerland yesterday.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...d-and-belgium/

philat98

When I was studying French at evening class we had a project about racism. The treatment of north Africans was shocking and there must be a terrible legacy. After saying that I suspect a lot of the rioters are just criminals and dont care much about the boy who was killed.

Moses2013

Yes, the rioters probably don't care much. The thing is that I also work with somebody from Tunisia and he says they treat the black Africans very bad.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/15/middl...ntl/index.html

I suppose one has to understand both sides and of course an old French lady who feels like a foreigner in her own country and witnessed anti-social behaviour by immigrants will have a different view and her view is passed on to her family, friends and so on. I've seen it in Ireland and a few neighbours who are farmers are not really racist, but even when we arrived here they were cautious because we were outsiders. You have to make an effort and accept that not everyone is a globetrotter and the rules in that country count.

Their worry is probably that they don't want to be the minority.

G-J-B

Some people will use any reason to riot, burn and create pandemonium, and it may have little to do with very recent events. I suspect there's a lot of venting - a combination of troubled childhoods, cost of living crisis, covid lockdown measures, pension reforms, governmental choices etc. etc. Some people just love the camaraderie of feeling rebellious and liberated to do as they please. There's been a lot of mindless action happening, from the burning of libraries, to the attempted murder of a mayor and his family by running a car into their home.

dmu

+1
When torching a school, municipal bus, low-cost supermarket, workplaces, etc... , these mindless juveniles don't realize that their younger siblings, and mothers or other family breadwinners, will also suffer.. Unfortunately, criminals, who use controversial acts as a pretext for riots and looting, incite these easily influenced minors.....
This time it started with juveniles refusing to comply with the policeman's order. The driver seemed to be guilty on many accounts and he paid the cost of driving away. It's a tragedy that the policeman didn't aim elsewhere to stop the car, and the media coverage doesn't help, either, they thrive on such drama....
In addition to the one set up for Nahel's mother (Leetchi), there's a kitty being collected for the policeman's family, but it seems to be organized by an extreme-rightwing supporter, which is offputting. In any case, they are being looked after by the police. Support for the police in general could be expressed via ORPHEOPOLIS, the official Police Orphans' Fund....
"Pauvre France", as OH's grandfather used to say....

brits1

I actually only watch news on tv “once in a blue moon” never by any other means and why on earth would you think I was “Right Wing” lol ….I also never mentioned not likening the reports….we watched the reports on Euro News and France TV, I was just surprised the reporters (non BritIsh)
were really not showing France in a good light at all….

Moses2013

I often watch German TV and this is probably a good point.
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/polit...achen-100.html

The anger unleashed on the streets of France right now has been sparked by the death of a young man . But only superficially, says the Franco-German political scientist Claire Demesmay on ZDF. Actually, it is also about an outlet for deep frustration about the existing, unjust social conditions, about criminal desire for riots and a frightening willingness to use violence.

"The protesters," says Demesmay, an expert on Franco-German cooperation, "actually have no political demands." What you see is "simply anger".


Unfortunately, France is not an isolated case, Roth continued. In many European countries, divisions and alienation, as well as violence against things and people, are increasing.

CDU Vice Jung: France is divided

The deputy CDU chairman Andreas Jung, member of the German-French Parliamentary Assembly, sees a reason for the outbreak of violence in the social division. "Despite good economic development, France is a deeply divided country," he told the newspaper. Many young French people feel left behind and are afraid of the future.
A lack of prospects and integration problems lead to an explosive mixture in the suburbs - and the extremists on all sides pour oil on the fire and heat it up.