The lesson that France is currently teaching is one that applies far beyond its borders, and spectacle readers in Britain, in Ireland, in the United States, in every country where the same austerity and the same contempt and the same degradation of public services is being imposed by governments with no mandate and no answers, should be paying close attention. The French are demonstrating something that is easy to forget when you are watching from inside a system that has been designed to make organised resistance feel futile: the state does not respond to reason alone. It does not move because of petitions or polite letters or even electoral pressure, because all of those things can be absorbed, delayed, managed, and eventually forgotten. It responds to disruption, to the credible assertion that the country cannot function normally while its people are being ignored, and the French people have been making that assertion, with remarkable consistency and remarkable discipline, for weeks.
They let the ambulances through. They block the roads and then they open them for the fire trucks and then they close them again, because they understand that their anger is not directed at the people the state is also failing to protect. They have chosen their targets carefully, and their message is clear. The system that is telling you there is no money for schools spent billions on war. The government that is cutting your pension sent its children to private school. The state that fires tear gas at 14-year-olds is the same state that has an answer for every question except the ones that matter.
The French people are burning themselves since they are the state.
the same state that has an answer for every question except the ones that matter.
That line hits so good. Idk what tf the US thinks they’re dong when their fucking president is the one getting everyone else killed. They’re killing their own even. FFS get off your high horse, stop pretending to be the good guys and fucking do something.
You either march in and remove them by force or do nothing, watching them continue to fuck everybody else for your inability to act on your convictions. Do something. Do something other than fucking watch. Do something other than complain and make up excuses. Do fucking something other than the same weak ass shit y’all have convinced yourself makes a difference and fucking ACT UP.
I love riots. They remind the Elites who’s really in charge, with the added message that it could always get worse.
And like 99.99% of the people on the streets didn’t even vandalize anything or use any violence. The media shows all of the protesters violence and none of the police violence, this is then used by the state to instigate more police brutality.
Then they blame all the chaos on the Mélenchon left — the only party that actually wants to change the policies the people are protesting against, while they are the ones in charge, and thus responsible for all of this shit.
If the midterms don’t change American politics, we are sadly, very much headed for the same thing. Especially if Trump manages to “dissappear” Ilhan Omar. This country is on the precipice of tearing itself apart.
“They’ll exhaust themselves at some point” -them, basically.
Indeed. Violence reflected back at the powerful is the only thing that prompts real and lasting change.
George Floyd protesters set fire to Minneapolis police station as riots continue: https://youtu.be/p5w0v8XsI9I
The all or nothing, black and white thinking doesn’t help either though. Most of the people online calling for violence are extremely unlikely to even get off their couch to figure out how these kinds of protests are organized. Violent revolution is brought on by a critical mass, but it’s the boring organizational efforts and grassroots community building, the lawyers and public policy experts helping the vulnerable day in and day out thanklessly, that assemble the kindling and firewood piece by piece so you all can come in and strike the match. Don’t discount those efforts because they’re not sexy.
Violent revolution is brought on by a critical mass, but it’s the boring organizational efforts and grassroots community building, the lawyers and public policy experts helping the vulnerable day in and day out thanklessly, that assemble the kindling and firewood piece by piece so you all can come in and strike the match. Don’t discount those efforts because they’re not sexy.
💯
Bunch of spectators at a gladiator event. What a circus.
I worry that in the UK its the far right that is most likely to listen to that lesson. They are the only ones protesting where I live as I live in a Tory/reform council, they have already scattered broken glass across roads.
Just like Jan 6ers in the US.
Because it’s totally the same thing…
I was agreeing with the commenter that they fear in their country they worry it is most likely the far right who will hear this message.
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Sadly, I have to agree.
I feel your pain on a visceral level. No one on USA is taking the lesson.
let’s not forget the videos of people trying to smash in windows while being protected by the police… nothing sus about that, why you ask?
Wait, Jan 6th?
Please don’t associate Mélenchon with this, he has called numerous times not to engage in violence and has no connection with the people not listening to him
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I’m sure I could agree with them but they are helping the far-right by doing this without thinking. Please don’t sabotage our plans for 2027
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yet it is still reactionary and expected. That is why macron was at a concert enjoying his damn self. They need to over throw their goverment. Not just riot.
Setting fire to cultural heritage sites is over the line. It is akin to cultural genocide, in particular if a minority/other group is hit.
Hi, French here and I can testify from my own experience of what happened that day in Paris, I also have direct contact with other regions (Marseille, Corrèze or Bretagne).
You shouldn’t talk about “cultural genocide”. It’s inappropriate and misleading.
There are several layers to this riots but since the spectacle only retains “burning and looting” you should know that even this is really understandable. But you need to put apart your racist biases first.
Human over building
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French genociding themselves? Explicitly pro fascism and state terrorism lemmy?
Imagine someone setting fire to your local, historic city hall, church, museum, or library. That’s not ok and removes a part of your identity. Calling that bad isn’t fascism. Having historic buildings and art isn’t state terrorism.
Blowing up an teen hand by the police is fascism and state terrorism and worse than anything protesters would do. You are participating in the current propaganda campaign to delegitimize completely the protests . The same tactic was used during the protests against the Vietnam war
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There are many genocides happening right now. I used that language to convey the danger of destroying and defacing culturally significant sites. Which they did to that one city hall, for example.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_genocide
Culticide exists, I didn’t mean genocide. Sorry if that got lumped in. And I just wanted to raise awareness that cultural sites do in fact have a large value to the people and are not akin to burning down a big box store or housing. You are right to point out that we should moderate radicalizing substance posts more. And admirably constructive.
Given how sensitive lemmy is to that word i’d go with cultural murder instead. Yes the violence committed on both sides is inacceptable, and undermines the messages / negociations.
Whoever set fire to that building should spend the rest of their lives paying it back, because as it currently stands the whole population will. Even the nazis didn’t go that far, but these looters respect nothing.
That’s not quite accurate. The Nazis rise to power was accompanied by burning of historic buildings though who did it and why is in part debated. I agree with you otherwise.
