Welcome to summer, where riot season in is once again in full swing in France. It has been on fire for days. But France isn’t the only place where unrest is spilling into the streets.
Here’s a quick survey of what’s been going on:
FRANCE:
The flashpoint of the riots churning their way through France struck an all-too familiar tone to those of us who remember 2020. It was a routine traffic stop. The 17yo Algerian driver didn’t have a licence. He drove off during the traffic stop and the police officer shot him.
Nahel Merzouk was ‘known to police’ but it was emphasized that he did not have a criminal record.
The cop at the scene has since been arrested and detained. He faces criminal charges. But the damage was already done, and in the days to follow, thousands of cars, as well as busses, public buildings had been burned, not to mention businesses.
The national conversation (if you can call it that) broke along the predictable fault lines of law and order / immigration vs. racism and unjustifiable use of force by police.
European news outlets are using the description ‘race riots’ in reporting the uprising that has been sweeping through France.
🇫🇷 Pharmacy makes sudden COLLAPSE after set ablaze by angry protesters in Montargis, central France.
Reports say many other shops in this town have also had the same fate… pic.twitter.com/P4KpZHS4r0
— I ❤️ Cape Town ~ I Stand with Russia 🇷🇺 #FJB (@Lolita721611021) July 2, 2023
But that was before the riots. The five nights since the shooting saw Paris and other French cities plunge into chaos as rioters have run rampage. Schools, police stations and city halls have been set torched, while cars, trucks and buses have been set ablaze.
Mr Macron, whose second term has already been disrupted by opposition to his pension reforms, is now facing perhaps the biggest challenge to his presidency yet. Although tens of thousands of police have been deployed to contain the violence, the anger has spread across the country, to Marseille, Lyon and Lille, with fears growing that they could disrupt the Tour de France cycling race. Mr Macron himself was obliged to cut short an EU summit in Brussels on Friday to return to Paris, and to postpone this week’s planned three-day state visit to Germany.
The rioting has also transformed the political discourse. The initial horror over the shooting of a teenager has now turned into a debate about law and order. — Inews (UK)
A mayor and his family at their residence were the target of an assassination attempt in which some of them were injured.
BRUSSELS:
Only an hour away from Paris by train is Brussels. Not only is it the capital of Belgium, but it is also the seat of power for the EU.
Much like what we saw with BLM in 2020, waves of riots in one city have been used as justification for subsequent riots elsewhere suppoedly in ‘solidarity’ with the original flashpoint. But Belgium isn’t even the same country — unless you think of the EU as some kind of a trans-national super-entity.
Fires were set, including on rue des Artsesia in Brussels and at Place de la Constitution in Saint-Gilles. The fire brigade quickly extinguished these, though one car was brunt in the process.
The police have said they will be “closely monitoring the situation” in the coming days.
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss have a well-earned reputation for remaining a sea of relative calm even when the world around them is reduced to apocalyptic scenes of blood, rubble and ash. But even they have seen an ‘echo’ of the violence that has been sweeping through France. Six teens and an adult (24) were arrested after paving stones and a molotov cocktail were used as weapons in a brief riot that smashed some windows and a shop door before it was dispersed.
HOLLAND
Not every protest right now is a result of racial tensions between the public and the police.
As riots continue to engulf #France look to the Netherlands. Massive protests are likely as the Dutch Prime Minister Rutt has been instructed by Klaus Schwab the German Chairman of the World Economic Forum and self appointed New World Order leader to seize 3000 privately owned… pic.twitter.com/NifZCAsdOL
— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) July 2, 2023
“Rate limit” cage doesn’t want you to see this. Farmers in Holland/Dutch protest to save their farms, being stopped by the police. pic.twitter.com/r3R4vAm1Fa
— Milan Sharma (@Milan_reports) July 2, 2023
The idea of forcing Farmers off their farmlands as recommended by Klaus Schwab and WEF would only set Belgium on fire. Dutch farmers in Holland have been protesting since last year, and it's only a matter of time before this destructive protest spill into Holland too. https://t.co/nZkbGNcYRO
— A b d u l (@Zuby215) July 2, 2023
"Today the Netherlands, tomorrow the world!" Dutch farmers, beaten by police, protest the seizure of 3,000+ farms, to make way for immigrant housing—on orders of Klaus Schwab@mcrispinmiller notes as France burns important to keep our eyes on Holland as same will happen here.
— Violet Frasier (@keepingviolet) July 2, 2023
The Wildman Devotional: A 50 Day Devotional for Men
Dear Warriors. The Wildman Devotional: A 50 Day Devotional for Men will fuel your inner wildman with solid meat from the scripture. In these 200+ pages, you’ll feast on the wealth, the walk, and the warfare of the Christian that’ll prepare you for maximum usefulness on this side of the grave. This book is fire! A great gift for all the men in your life. BTW, women will love this devotional as well.
Sources Cited:
INews (UK)
