French Riots Begin (2005)

Thu Oct 27, 2005

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Image: Marching protesters with a banner reading “PAS DE JUSTICE PAS DE PAIX” [socialistproject.ca]


On this day in 2005, weeks of riots erupted throughout France after two youths died from electrocution while hiding from the police in a power substation. President Chirac declared a state of emergency, giving sweeping powers to police.

According to a youth that survived the substation incident, they hid “to avoid the lengthy questioning that youths in the housing projects say they often face from the police. [He said] they are required to present identity papers and can be held as long as four hours at the police station, and sometimes their parents must come before the police will release them.”

The deaths ignited pre-existing tensions in immigrant communities, particularly those of African and Arab origin, and protesters took to the street en masse. Initially confined to the Paris area, the protests and riots quickly spread throughout the country. By November 4th, thousands of vehicles had been burned, three people had been killed, and more than 2800 rioters were arrested.

On November 8th, President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency, which was granted a three month extension a week later. Local authorities were allowed to impose curfews, conduct house-to-house searches, and ban public gatherings to quell the riots.


  • SickPanda@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Ah yes you run into a deadly power substation, which is provided with signs which literaly say “High voltage” to evade questioning. Seems totally logical to rather risk the life instead of answering questions if you didn’t do anything wrong.

    The signs are specially designed so that even illiterate people can understand them. Either they were not as innocent as they pretend, or completely stupid.

    • ShunkW@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ah yes, because answering questions for the police can never hurt you if you’re doing nothing wrong. Dumb take, bro

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yea, just like how if black people don’t want to get shot, they shouldn’t run from police. Except like how Philando Castile, George Floyd, and Fred Hampton didn’t run.

      • SickPanda@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You know that the police was called because Flyod was trying to pay with an counterfeit bill right? Flyod was in prison multiple times. He was known to the police for drug usage and aiming is gun to a pregnant woman. The day he was killed he also was on drugs.

        I don’t know the other two.

        Running away from the police and into a power substation which is known to be deadly to avoid getting asked things, screams stupidity and being a criminal.

        • bouh@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          As far as I know police is not legally competent to judge whether someone deserve to die or not. But maybe you don’t live in a democracy I don’t know.

          • SickPanda@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            when did I say that the police has to judge if someone deserves to die? You people act like Flyod was innocent and celebrate him like a martyr even though he was a serious criminal.

            Sure it’s tragic that Flyod died, but it is his own fault that the police showed up in the first place by trying to pay with a counterfeit bill. It’s also his own fault he was already struggling to breath before the police showed up because he was pumped full with drugs. and it’s also his own fault that the police treated him harsh because he was known to use drugs and being armed. (btw your argument was he didn’t run away, he couldn’t because he didn’t knew the police was coming) Last but not least, you can’t compare your fucked up third world country with a Gucci belt (murica) to France/Europe.

            The boys in France definitely where either stupid af or criminals (or both) There is no reason to run away from the police if they just ask questions. Even if it takes “up to 4 hours” I’d rather take the annoying questioning than running into my own death. The police even warned them to not go in there but they didnt care.

            I am part of a minority myself and I look like an immigrant (black hair, brown eyes, tanned skin) and I grew up in multiple low income areas because we moved mutlipe times, but I never had problems with the police in my entire 25 years on earth. Don’t want problems with the police? then don’t be a criminal, it’s that easy, even as a minority/immigrant.

            • bouh@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Floyd was killed. And here you come saying he was a criminal like this would somehow excuse the murder. Because a murder it was.

              It is not his fault if a cop shot him dead. The cop pushed the trigger, not Floyd.

              Don’t you see the problem of a police that murders people? When they do this, they’re not better than mafia or bandits. And when your police is not better than mafia or bandits, you are in a dire situation.

              • SickPanda@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Flyod wasn’t shot. A police officer put his knee on Flyod’s neck to prevent him from moving. Floyd suffocated because the police officers knee made it harder for Flyod to breath. Flyod already was struggling with his breath because he was on drugs that’s why he died.

                Yeah Flyod was shouting he couldn’t breath, but his drug usage made it impossible for the police officers to predict his behavior.

                You people celebrate him like a martyr and don’t even know how he died lmao. Seriously get lost.

                • bouh@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I don’t celebrate anyone. I’m not living in the US. I don’t care how the police kills people, I find it unacceptable regardless.