“We are at war”

From the BZ editorial team

︎ “Today the police officers are on combat duty because we are at war.” This was stated by the French police unions Alliance Police Nationale and Unsa Police in a press release.

This is how the two unions comment on the unrest that has shaken France for days. On Tuesday, 17-year-old Nahel M. tried to evade a police check and endangered passers-by in a subsequent chase. An officer stopped him. When the youth of North African descent pressed the gas pedal again, a deadly shot was fired from the police officer’s service weapon.

Since then, France has been shaken by violent riots. Cars burn, shops are looted, violent demonstrators fight street battles with the police. There are repeated calls of “Allahu Akbar” and anti-Semitic incidents.

︎ The choice of words by the two unions in France has caused fierce criticism and debate. Because the statement also says: “In the face of these wild hordes, it is no longer enough to ask for calm, you have to enforce it” And: “Our colleagues, like the majority of citizens, are fed up with being under the dictates of these suffering from violent minorities.”

There is also talk of “harmful elements” that must now be “declared war” instead of “subjecting” to them or “surrendering” to them. Given the brutality of the riots, “laying down arms” is not a solution.

The French politician Frédéric Mathieu (45) expressed clear criticism of the unions. The press release was “a call for rebellion and civil war against a part of our population,” said Mathieu.