BANLIEUS IN FLAMES

For all those of you following the news about riots in Paris and wondering how this is affecting me, my answer is: I’m safe and in no danger… however, it is nonetheless troubling. My mind is having difficulty grasping it all. Not long ago in the “Amendment Matters” entry, I wrote that the violence isn’t at bad as some think; the conception of the problem is over-inflated, “one car is set on fire and it creates a sensationalist nightmare”. With 1,275 cars set on fire just last night and the continuation of fires in several commercial centers and public buildings, there is no denying a real crisis.

To be clear, though these events are in reaction to the two young men electrocuted while hiding from police near a power transformer, there are much deeper problems driving the explosive and continued response. I've touched on many of these issues on my website. The violence and destruction are acts of protest specifically targeted towards the French institutions. They are angry with their government; its failed attempts to rectify the degradation, poverty and discrimination their communities face. The frustration has been building for a long time. 30% of the youths in the banlieus are unemployed compared to the 10% national average. The old adage, “trouble springs from idleness” in this situation, proves a miserable truth. I really can not predict what will happen next. It seems each night, new communities are getting involved. Putting cars aflame is most popular… these night fires, spectacular and morose represent a forceful voice, an inescapable message to the deaf ears of past.

I don’t think the French government knows what to do. First of all, with elections drawing near, all interested parties have reacted slowly and with caution. No one wanted to take a bold or controversial step, potentially jeopardizing their platform. Also, there are so many impoverished, highly ethnic suburbs that I believe they are afraid for what could happen next. It is hard to believe how this whole thing has been allowed to escalate. The people committing these acts constitute, relatively, a very small number… we are talking a few hundred people here and there in densely populated communities (of tens of thousands). It is baffling that the police can’t get it under control. This, in a country which regularly prepares itself for mass protests of hundreds of thousands of people!!! No disrespect but, from the video footage I’ve seen, I don’t think the police have any clue how to handle it.

Lastly, these events do hit very close to home. I work in Seine-Saint-Denis, where everything erupted. I know these neighborhoods well. No need to worry though, I am in no danger. By and large, the attacks are against the French institutions; post offices, commercial sites, public busses, metros. To date, there have been no fatalities. It is all very sad to me. Again, I don’t even know what to think. One of the most difficult problems the immigrants of the banlieus face is stigmatization and discrimination. Now, it is all the worse… leaving these communities, these struggling families, with the destruction, both physical and psychological, left behind.