The right-wing opposition has pushed for the declaration of a state of emergency that would give more powers to governments and the police, but Macron’s government is still not in favor. In similar riots in November 2005, then-President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency. “Those riots lasted for three weeks and that’s obviously the specter for the French government now,” says historian and France expert Niek Pas.
Looting and arson
It was the third night of looting, arson and attacks on government buildings and properties. Nearly 250 officers were injured. The reason is the death of a 17-year-old motorist in Nanterre, Nahel, who was fatally injured when he was driven away from a traffic control by two policemen on motorbikes. Nahel will be buried in Nanterre on Saturday, according to French news channel BFMTV.
“Anger is directed above all at the police”
“Initially, the anger is aimed at the police,” says Pas. “Young people are angry and feel misunderstood, especially young people from the suburbs where circumstances are very socio-economically difficult.”
Ban on gatherings
The ban on gatherings is currently in force in several cities. According to the interior ministry, 667 people have already been arrested across the country, including more than 300 in the Paris region. Most of those arrested were between 14 and 18 years old.
This is interesting according to Pas. According to him, it also affects young people from the age of twelve. This is evident from reports and interviews. These are young people who didn’t even experience the 2005 riots, just by hearsay.’ And so, according to Pas, ‘that France has made no progress in those twenty or 25 years’. Tragic, he calls it.
Macrons in action
What will French President Macron do now? At first he will try to contain the violence, thinks Pas. “Underneath that is the need to come up with a delta plan for neighborhoods.”
Pas also explains that in 2017 the provisions for police action were expanded. ‘This makes it easier and faster for the national police to get to the service arm. It is therefore obvious to hypothesize that the government will also look at the provisions of the law of 2017, which were already strongly criticized at the time’.
On a state visit
Macron is expected in the Federal Republic on Sunday for the first official state visit by a French president in 23 years. During the three day visit, he is expected to visit Ludwigsburg, Berlin and Dresden. At the moment, there is no news that he is not going due to the violence in his country. In March, a state visit by King Charles III to France was postponed at the last minute due to protests and unrest over controversial pension reforms.