What on earth is happening in France?

[DangerQuakeRhinoSnake]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9zrdmxp4vy6o

This has really shocked me, awful reports coming out of France. I'm unsure as to exactly why the students are protesting and attacking teachers, and what the govt is going to do about it. Presumably this has been brewing for a while. Are people just angry in general and looking for excuses to riot?

Looks so close to societal breakdown from what I've seen online. Very scary and very sad.

It is wrongthink to make those sort of observations, you have to pretend it’s not the case.

You mean as in George Orwell's 1984 where he wrote: "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."?

Exactly that.

The vast majority of protestors are Belgian/French. How do you know how many generations they go back?

It is the end of a long and hot summer, we are all pretty brown. I am chuckling over your pathetic attempt to turn suntanned French/Belgians into ‘ethnic origin’ protesters. 😅

You do realise that your protesters of 'ethnic origin' are French?

French nationals are not just white people, as is expected in the population of a former colonial power.

I have dual French and British nationality and I have light hair and one of the whitest skin you will ever see and freckles everywhere.

As it happens I have an Algerian grand-father alongside European DNA. So us, 'ethnic' people as you would likely describe me also come in all different shades...

From what I've just heard, Saturday 17th October is when it's really going to kick off. On top of the usual student, LFI and CGT
demonstrations there's going to be a five day long aviation workers strike and the yellow vests are said to be organising too.

To coincide with the Toussaint half term school holiday travel rush.

So. Cancelled flights and the yellow vests blocking the roads.

I'm chuckling at your comment that a long hot summer can somehow suddenly change pale skinned white Europeans into "ethnic origins" with associated hair, eye colour, culture etc.

Out of interest and following your logic, if we have a grey rainy winter do brown and black people then become white?

😆

This may be of value, summarises the issues and where it started.

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20261007-what-france-s-student-protesters-want-–-and-what-the-government-is-offering

Thank you for the link.

The escalation and riots are getting worse. People cannot seriously think this is about schools now?

Nothing to do with schools, it's the far-left combined with Islamic immigrants and the Pro-Palestine lot. Seriously, if I was a Jew in France at the moment, I'd be getting the hell away from there.

Not trying to be racist, just saying what I see from watching some of the live stream stuff today. More like urban warfare than protest. Palestine flags clearly visible at a lot of the riots.

But diversity is still or strength apparently. I worry this could be coming to the UK soon if we are not very careful.

Wow I have just seen images from today, how awful.

Is this still "just the French rioting, that's what they do"?

I have lived in France - Corsica, mainly - so not exactly the same - but with periods in Marseille - for 26 years. I have noticed more and more that the slang language of Gen Z - if you will - over here is almost completely North African or Arabic borrowings.

Wesh!
Bismillah!
Kiffe!
Wallah! (Not voilà)
Cheh
Miskine.
Bled
Toubib
Seum.

It can be more or less three quarters cod Arabic at times. Their music is North African rap. Even the most middle class and Français de souche kids speak like that. Sometimes I wonder if the real Marseille Algerian tough kids laugh at them in a, "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" way.

There's a few Brit slang terms in there as well. My favourite is, "C'est un banger!"

The more peaceful protests have included teachers and police joining in a, "Bataille de aura" which is possibly American internet nonsense for doing a cringey dance in front of a crowd.

There doesn't seem to be the same French identity amongst the youth as twenty years ago. Heck. The big thing to eat is called, "Le Tasty Crousty" or a kebab.

I'm really troubled by what is going on in France right now. I don't know what happens next. There will be nothing left to set light to soon.

I know the French have a proud history of protest and almost seem to have an internal etiquette to it:

"La cortege" (the ones at the front)
"Le black bloc" (the ones all in black)

Frankly, however, It's just getting scary now though and losing hands and eyes and goodness knows whatever else at fifteen years old is just terrible. I am losing patience with LFI and Melanchon. I feel like they are using these children. Of whatever colour, religion or background.

The same could be said of the right. They've each got their young symbolic figures. Louise Montagnon (22) for the right and Elwen Benoît (17) for the left. I don't think either of them have the maturity to be constantly paraded on the media to represent either side.

Very worrying times.

I've rambled here but I hope there's some sense in this stream of worried consciousness.

Thank you for the interesting post @Redheadedstepchild