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METROPOLICE / INTERVIEW
Tuesday, 27th March, 4.30 p.m.: an uproar of social unrest starts in the metro of Paris and leaves half of the station Gare du Nord devastated. Mathilde Clausonne, a 28 year old job-seeking Parisienne, witnessed the whole story in the news and explains us the reasons for this easily inflamable French temper. An interview by TB
Foto: Indymedia
> It happened in the middle of the presidential election campaign in France. Was there an especially violent and oppressive atmosphere in the city, maybe because of Sarkozy’s law and order slogans?
> MATHILDE: The pressure is not new. This was an outburst caused by smouldering social tensions which have been latent in French society for years. And since Sarkozy heightened these tensions during his time as minister of the Interior and, like his opponents, used the issue of “security” and “crime” in his electoral campaign, the prospect of having him as the new French President was the right ingredient to kindle the explosive potion. What happened is no surprise to me, although it was the biggest riot since the “burning of the banlieus” in 2005 and the occupation of the Sorbonne last Spring. <
> Would you throw a stone at a police man in that situation?
> MATHILDE: I don’t think I would, but maybe I would have shouted at the policemen, too. You have to see that French society is sick and some parts of it are sicker than others. The “jeunes de banlieus” suffer more than the white and wealthier. They are victims and they revel in this helpless role, where they can only express themselves through violence. But this type of overreaction in general is very French. As a people, we are easily enraged and we like demonstrating and striking a lot. So political reforms and changes almost always cause protests.
Another issue is that neither Royal nor Sarkozy (nor the other main political figures of the campaign) seemed to offer anything positive. On the one hand the French flag was hoisted higher, the Marseillaise was sung more often and patriotism returned on to the media agenda, and on the other, the motto was “repression, repression, repression” while socially little or nothing got better. Even I have slowly got fed up with being fooled and bridled day by day — imagine the reaction of people with a more inflammable temper! <
> We beg your pardon — but this is anarchy!
> MATHILDE: Vandalism and street fighting happen now in France not only for political reasons, on demonstrations, but also because of a simple ticket control in the subway and even during the Fête de la Musique. This wave of destruction, originating mainly in the suburbs, is entirely indiscriminate. Targets could be practically any shop or car, and left-wing students are mugged just as frequently as policemen are beaten. The repressive state offers no solution to this problem. On the contrary, it exacerbates marginalised youngsters’ faith in violent rebellion. I’m tired of all this, I want to do my Saturday shopping at Les Halles without being annoyed by uneducated young males, but also without seeing the place crawling with police. <<
| read also the Italian view of the events: The “Burn” Identity
more: www.indymedia.org/de/2007/04/883072.shtml