The consecutive nights of protest in France after the “execution” of Nahel Merzouk a 17-year-old of Maghrebi Algerian descent, are said to be dying down. (1)
The killing in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27th was said to be the lastest in a history of police violence against the Afrikan and Arab communities dating back to the 1970s. (2) Last year alone the rate was more than one a month. (3) It should be stated that these figures rely of reporters and academics as France (like Germany) refuse to collect ethnicity data.(4)
The last time such scenes were seen in the UK were in the wake of the Metropolitan Police killing of Mark Duggan in 2011, later deemed “legal” in an inquest verdict that flied in the face of both logic and science. (5) Meanwhile, the case against officer NX121, who 24-year-old shot father to be Chris Kaba at point blank range in South London last, is being investigated for homicide. (6)
In the years since the Mark Duggan case and especially in the last few years, the UK government seems hell-bent on creating conditions for flashpoints between the Afrikan community and the police by stating discrimination against us is “objectively justified” in addition to last month’s call from the Home Secretary to the police to “ramp up” stop and search. Some suggest to distract from it’s never ending crises. (7)
The officer that “executed” Nahel has been detained for voluntary manslaughter, although even convicted it’s possible that the sentence could be incredibly light, as was case of Amadou Koumé, who was choked to death in 2015 by three officers. A guilty verdict resulted in officers being given suspended sentences. (8) Indeed, in a familiar manifestation, a go fund me appeal for Nahel’s killer has so far raised over one million Euros, five times that collected for the slain teen. (9)
(1) Sarah Hooper, Peter Allen & Olivia Burke (28/06/23) STREETS OF RAGE Teen Nael M ‘executed’ by Paris cop who opened fire at point blank sparking riots… as family say they’ll ‘never forgive’. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/22837119/paris-riots-police-kill-teenager-driving-traffic/; Laura Gozzi (03/07/23) France riots ease as mayors call anti-violence rally. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66084677
(2) CrimethInc. (02/07/23) Justice for Nahel: The Roots of the Uprising in France. https://crimethinc.com/2023/07/02/justice-for-nahel-the-roots-of-the-uprising-in-france; Mathieu Rigouste (13/02/20) The violence of the French police is not new, but more people are seeing it now. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/13/french-police-violence-gilets-jaunes-victims.
(3) Giles Whittell (03/07/23) France is at a turning point on police violence. https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2023/07/03/france-is-at-a-turning-point-on-police-violence/
(4) Philip Oltermann & Jon Henley (16/06/20) France and Germany urged to rethink reluctance to gather ethnicity data. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/16/france-and-germany-urged-to-rethink-reluctance-to-gather-ethnicity-data
(5) Haroon Siddique (10/06/20) Mark Duggan police shooting: can forensic tech cast doubt on official report? https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2020/jun/10/mark-duggan-shooting-can-forensic-tech-cast-doubt-on-official-report
(6) Shingi Mararike (30/03/23) Police officer could face criminal charges over fatal shooting of Chris Kaba. https://news.sky.com/story/moment-chris-kabas-family-find-out-police-officer-could-face-criminal-charges-over-fatal-shooting-12845389
(7) Lizzie Dearden (13/09/21) Government says discrimination against black people and Travellers ‘objectively justified’ with new laws. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/policing-bill-discrimination-black-travellers-b1919272.html; Sophie Huskisson (19/06/23) Stop and search plans blasted as Suella Braverman defends use on young Black men. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/plans-ramp-up-stop-search-30269997; Sabby Dhalu (26/09/22) How do we stop the racist offensive? https://morningstaronline.co.uk/articlef//how-do-we-stop-racist-offensive
(8) Angelique Chrisafis (20/09/22) French police officers convicted over 2015 chokehold death. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/french-police-officers-convicted-over-2015-chokehold-death; Human Rights Watch (18/06/20) “They Talk to Us Like We’re Dogs”Abusive Police Stops in France. https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/06/18/they-talk-us-were-dogs/abusive-police-stops-france
(9) Gillian Duncan, Lemma Shehadi (03/07/23) ‘’Insulting’ appeal for French policeman who killed teen raises €1 million. hhttps://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/07/03/insulting-appeal-for-french-policeman-who-killed-teen-raises-more-than-900000/
we ask the question:
France in flames: Could it happen here?
1) What conditions led to the France Uprisings? Do they exist in the UK?
2) Does the collection of “ethnicity data” make a difference?
3) What do you make of the killers €1 million go fund me total?
4) What are the parallels and differences between France and the UK?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
SIGN: Justice for children wrongly classified as ESN: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631043
SIGN: Stop Anti African racism in Tunisia – https://chng.it/5MVRbCD2sn
https://alkebulan.org/2023/06/19/aswag-438-soweto-1976-today/