Could the riots in France ever happen here or is this just a feature of French society

[mids2019]

I am watching coverage of the protests in France including the shocking coverage of the burning of a town hall and wonder is this something that ever could happen in the UK or is protest at this scale somehow part of the French DNA given how the republic was born in revoution?

Personally I think immigration and it's consequences may be part of the unrest and I am questioning whether this mass uprisings is simply about school standards. We have a cost of living crisis in the UK but this form of protest does not happen so what is different?

That’s an over simplified statement that deeply misunderstands what was being said and done.

Can you point to a time when riots have happened in the U.K. when things were generally going really well for people?

What people are missing are the number of counter protests which happen in Glasgow, which tend to attract much higher numbers.

My traditionally left town in the central belt has had protests at a migrant hotel, these guys (at least half of whom were not local) were far out numbered by counter protesters who were all locals.

The narrative that Glasgow is the friendliest city with the friendliest people, has always been just good PR. The apparent pride Scottish people have that we are not a racist nation has always been based on bullshit as any non white person who lives here could tell you it’s just not true. Glasgow (and Scotland generally) have just as many racist people, who are now being emboldened to wear that badge with pride, as there are in the rest of the U.K. But just like other parts of the country, those people are a minority, as the sheer number of counter protests will demonstrate. Those rarely make the news though.

Falkirk?

Im sorry but both groups of protesters had people shipped in. The counter protest group was not bigger in number on any given week either.

It was two groups of idiots, not from the area, upsetting the town and people of Falkirk.

It’s also a hard stretch to say it’s a left leaning town, when the majority of Scotland leans left.

This is absolutely on a different scale. Look at numerous videos on X from terrified residents who have lives all their lives in Paris. So hardly naive or haven’t seen demos before they have never seen anything as bad.

France has a long, long tradition of "worker" and farmer protests. Not just working-class workers either, and students have always protested on their own issues or in solidarity with workers. I was watching an early 1960s French New Wave film last night, and there were protests going on in the background.

This feels different in the way that recent British and other European protests/riots seem different. People start by standing up for a community or with a legitimate concern/cause ... Then, on the back of that, other disaffected people (or just troublemakers) join in, and voilà, riots. It's very worrying behaviour.

Have a brush up on the French revolution and it explains all. The word terrorist derives from this period for a reason.

Protesting is central to the idea of the Republic.

So while the UK is at risk of protests turning into riots like anywhere else, there isn’t a feeling that it’s part of our civic duty to protest, therefore we are just less likely to be on the streets in the first place.

Do you not remember the riots that burned people out of their homes, Northern Ireland, and attempted to burn people out of a hotel in England? These riots in the UK and Northern Ireland put civilian lives in danger with no thoughts about the police and ambulance service.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/from-the-archive-blog/2018/apr/06/paris-students-demonstrations-may-1968

France is well known for student disruption.

As much as its a French thing, that lot love a riot

I do think we will see riots here

I think the far right have big numbers of men, your everyday man as well, who are slowly being groomed and wound up to 'take action'

I think we need to be worried.

To force a response from the authorities and to target public buildings or specific issues, in this case immigration.

The peasants did it in Uprising, which apart from the awful CGI shots is quite a good film, out at the moment.
Black Death, insane taxation and corrupt authorities = tipping point. Hence we've been having the three-year sentences for rioters who then kill themselves in custody.

Protesting is seen as a civic duty in France, and there's high general tolerance for it amongst the population.

But that's not what these riots are.

The Beeboid and Guardian are scratching their heads cause they can't blame it on the faaaar right. I imagine the condemnation would be greater if this were the case.

Student protests of the far left in action. If that's what you want, suck it up.

Trouble is, it's not the far right doing this stuff and it's on a scale that is huge. They actually burned down a school called Nelson Mandela High School. The irony will have been lost on them I suppose.

I never suggested it was the far right. Projection much?

I couldn’t believe that people were cheering as the historic town hall was destroyed. They will live to regret loosing a historic building in such a way.

That’s really sad. A lot of it looked bad, the looting and fires.

The Nelson Mandela school was really beautiful. It was an eco-friendly school built just 10 years ago for Eur 54m. The before and after photos are heart-breaking.

But I was more shocked at the
Vauquelin High School attack. Rioters blocked the exits and set them on fire - with students, journalists and teachers trapped inside the school.

This is not French protest.

There us a lot of evidence it is disquiet from immigrants who are relatively poor. Many immigrants in France are not happy both economically but also with French institutions including schools Maybe its a massive display of discontent at native French people (especially given thr number of Algerian and Tunisian flags being waved)

Google the London riots of 2011. Just like what's happening in France atm.

French students last week, protesting outside their college, when interviewed said that it was other people, not from their area/school that set fire to the their bins.

Yes, it can happen anywhere when certain people pay others to do ‘jobs’, didn’t someone start a fire at a warehouse recently in the UK?

Wouldn't surprise me, there will be people living here who are watching it and would not be averse to tying to start something to see how it pans out. News is a 24 hour intstant access thing of course and I am sure other countries are watching this closely. France does have a centuries old history of taking to the streets but the UK has had serious unrest in the past. as well. Everywhere feels volatile and uncertain, I am worried about what Trump will if the mid terms if as predicted, go badly for him. I wouldn't put it past him to declare martial law or start a civil war.

Yes they could happen here. Poll tax riots?

@mids2019 There may be something symbolic about the date - 17th October - for people of Algerian heritage and also perhaps by association, people with other ex colonial roots.

Last Saturday marked the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Paris massacre, in which at least 40 Algerian protestors died.

I haven't heard this mentioned anywhere in the French coverage of these latest protests, so I might be trying to make connections that aren't there.

Here's wikipedia on that matter:

1961 Paris massacre - Wikipedia share.google/2CvkGzZ0sGkdIzT4R

Yes it could happen here. No it has never happened here on this scale in living memory.