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?

I like it. You have riots? We have sarcasm (and a narwhals' tusk)!

I think anyone thinking it can't happen in the UK are delusional. It's got nothing to do with long standing cultural norms in British people versus French people. Its disenfranchised first and second generation immigrants- with the second generation often being the most volatile. And this can happen anywhere with sustained high levels of immigration in the current economic climate.

I believe Brits rioting depends on the weather, I live in London and all the riots happen in the summer. Who wants to riot when it's cold and rainy? 😩

I suppose you would call it a tremendous success - unfortunately many voters would disagree with you.

France, Italy, Poland, Spain, and others have elections this year, and next.

Europe has been tilting to the right for some time, with right wing parties entering coalition in different countries at different times. Centre-right and far-right groups are now able to form a majority in the European parliament, coalescing in particular around an anti-migration agenda.

I can only envisage riots in the UK if the welfare state is materially rolled back.

The weather has just turned wet and chilly. Most British thugs will be tucked up safely indoors.

Life is difficult for everyone but we’ve just got to plod along and get on with it and vote in better governments if we want change.

Last time the UK had comparable riots (about 2011?) the authorities came down really hard on the perpetrators of looting/arson/criminal damage - they were prosecuted in record time and sentences were hefty. I wonder if France is more lenient and that’s why it keeps happening?

France has an even higher immigrant population than we do and they are pretty segregated.

The French have a history of taking to the streets and holding government to account. We just blame immigration and each other.

The authorities could just wheel the guillotine out of storage, round up the leaders .... it would end the rioting overnight.

If the government doesnt get its shit together and stop the boats, there will be serious unrest in the UK. We have people with known terrorist links roaming free, fed and housed by the taxpaying mugs.
Watch this space

It was on enough of a scale to make the government of the day shit a brick and take action.

I think exactly this. It could and will probably happen here. Immigration is fine if people integrate. The Ukrainians have integrated. Unfortunately some other cultures haven't. This is a problem. If people are fundamentally opposed to British culture they shouldn't be here.

As a French person my theory is that Putin/Iran are stirring it. I can’t believe anyone would set fire to buildings in that way, unless they’ve been tasked and paid to do it… It seems completely incomprehensible. I think the Gilets Jaunes don’t really know what they want and are open to manipulation and being someone’s useful idiot. Wouldn’t Putin love it if France fell to Le Pen… I also agree I don’t think “immigrants” are the ones rioting. I read that immigrants are “keeping a low profile” (can’t remember where I read that), and are very unlikely to go and set fire to things, harass the police and risk being arrested, which makes total sense to me. There may be “second or third generation immigrants”, (who obvs are French citizens, not immigrants), who have been demonstrating as they are fed up with discrimination, but they are not the rioters. I can’t comprehend who does set fire to things…

I remember those riots as I was living in London, whole blocks got burned down, it was terrifying. I recall the tory government threatening with pulling the benefits and the council homes of those participating, That ended the riots in a heart beat. Not sure what my point is honestly...but all those teenagers were super scared of being recognized on CCTV and getting the knock on the door.

Funny that you chose to post this here, and not in Politics or History.