by Philippe Karsenty, spiked (Image: Wikimedia Creative Commons)
Macron, the authorities and the media are in total denial about what French society is up against.
On Friday evening on 16 October, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron attended a Céline Dion concert in Paris. While the Macrons were dancing, the rest of the country was bracing for what was to come. On 17 October, the world saw France descend into chaos: rioters, looters and the black bloc took to the streets of Paris and other major French cities, burning buildings, sacking shops and desecrating monuments.
There have now been weeks of unrest in France. Throughout it all, Palestinian and Algerian flags have been waved all over the country. Some demonstrators have shouted slogans such as, ‘That’s for Palestine!’ and ‘Globalise the Intifada!’. Even Greta Thunberg has been on the scene, attending a school protest earlier this month wearing a keffiyeh.
In a strange sense, this is a huge success for Macron. After all, he decided to recognise a Palestinian state last year, unaware that Paris would become its capital.
Compared with what may come in the near future, what France experienced last weekend may seem mild. Demonstrations have been announced for this weekend and, on 20 November, youth organisations from 12 European countries are calling for protests and strikes across Europe. They may not yet have succeeded in globalising the Intifada, but they are certainly Europeanising it.
What happened last weekend was a violent insurrection, a civil war in which only one side was attacking. For many years, the French police have not been authorised to properly defend themselves. Restrictions have been imposed on police officers for fear of a George Floyd-type incident. The rioters are well aware of this and are eager to take advantage. Mercifully, there have been no fatal confrontations linked to the riots, but this ‘miracle’ may not last long, as demonstrations will continue, at least until the presidential elections in six months’ time.
Read also: The ‘homicidal empathy’ of the Islamo-left by Julie Birchill, spiked