Paris: The riots which spread countrywide after the killing of 17 year-old Algerian boy, Nahel M by France police have shaken French society to its very core. French riots 2023 have followed the same distinct pattern as the protests that broke our in the Eastern suburbs of Lyon in 1981, where an episode known as the summer of Minguettes; a young person is killed or seriously injured by the police triggered an outpouring of violence.
Throughout the past 40 years in France, urban revolts have been dominated by the rage of young people who attack the symbols of order and the state. While residents condemn these acts, of all the revolts, the summer of the Minguettes was the only one to pave the way for a social movement’ the March for Equality and Against Racism.
While there was almost condemnation of the police killing of Nahel, the question still remains ever-present; “how have third and fourth-generation French citizens of immigrant descent failed to integrate into French society?”. The unanswered questions have left several anxious who have been sincerely searching for answers. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, there have been several examples of major media outlets and political elites issuing highly provocative statements about Muslims and Algerians in France.
About one-eighth population in France follows Islam, still, the point of the fish story is nearly obvious Important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about. At the start of June, former prime minister Edouard Phillipe gave a wide-ranging interview in which he called for immigration reform. Calling it a central subject, Mr Philippe went on to say that French people have problem with Islamic immigration. He advocated revoking a bilateral treaty that would make it easier for Algerians to immigrate to France.
The recurrence of urban riots in France and their scenarios yield some relatively simple lessons. While the country’s urban policies miss targets, over the last 40 years, considerable efforts have been made to improve housing, public transportation, and amenities, and the social and cultural diversity of the disadvantaged suburbs have deteriorated. In spite of the cash and local representatives’ goodwill, people still feel excluded from society because of their origins.