Solidarity with the Paris Rioters - ideas
Snodgrass | 11.11.2005 23:52 | Anti-racism | Repression | Social Struggles
The riots across France are the explosive beginnings of a powerful new political movement. The Parisian ethnic minorities are rejecting staggering racism, police discrimination and 40% unemployment. They need our solidarity, and quickly. 2005 is our 1968
The Parisian riots may be the definining moment of French politics this decade. The youth of the banlieue are rejecting the povery brought about by racism, they are demanding dignity, and their violence represents their attempt to find a voice using the only method they have left.
This is a plea for solidarity actions on the part of the UK progressive community. We need to organise displays of support for the French rioters, and get in touch with the communities at the heart of the violence, so that these two movements, whose goals are the same (regardless of differences of opinion about methods), can open a dialogue and benefit from each other.
We mustn't stand by and let the French movement peter out; thanks to the effective segregation of French society there appears to be little effective communication between rioters and established radical organisations. This is a community of oppressed people trying to take their destiny into their own hands, and it would be a dereliction of our duty not to help them as best we can, and forge long-lasting connections.
This isn't an unreserved defence of the methods of the French rioters; many of us may disagree with violence and arson, many of us may not. But that's not the issue, a change in methodology is for the French rioters to arrive at themselves. This is a call to action for everyone who believes that state racism must be defeated, and that the inhabitants of the banlieues deserve a voice.
Start public discussions here, set up a webgroup, whatever; just let's all of us get involved now, and turn these riots into the defining event of European politics this century.
This is a plea for solidarity actions on the part of the UK progressive community. We need to organise displays of support for the French rioters, and get in touch with the communities at the heart of the violence, so that these two movements, whose goals are the same (regardless of differences of opinion about methods), can open a dialogue and benefit from each other.
We mustn't stand by and let the French movement peter out; thanks to the effective segregation of French society there appears to be little effective communication between rioters and established radical organisations. This is a community of oppressed people trying to take their destiny into their own hands, and it would be a dereliction of our duty not to help them as best we can, and forge long-lasting connections.
This isn't an unreserved defence of the methods of the French rioters; many of us may disagree with violence and arson, many of us may not. But that's not the issue, a change in methodology is for the French rioters to arrive at themselves. This is a call to action for everyone who believes that state racism must be defeated, and that the inhabitants of the banlieues deserve a voice.
Start public discussions here, set up a webgroup, whatever; just let's all of us get involved now, and turn these riots into the defining event of European politics this century.
Snodgrass
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ideas
12.11.2005 23:26
police special forces (CRS, TSG) | 12.11.2005 22:39
Time for the politicians to make way and achieve a resolution to the riots for everyones sake.
1) Close the borders to anyone attempting to enter France from the countries of origin of the rioters (unless they are French citizens without dual citizenship) or people who are suspected of trying to enter the country to stir up trouble, extremism etc.
2) Instigate a lockdown of the banlieue's, a day and night curfew for the next 5 days.
3) Call-up army reservists, Gendarme reservists (already called-up actually) and declare a national emergency. Bring in the Foreign Legion to patrol the banlieue's under instructions that nobody is allowed to leave their house during the curfew at all. Food essentials will be brought to locations in the areas and people escorted by the army to pick up their rations.
4) The areas should be ringed with army and police units again to enforce the curfew. Anyone breaking the curfew should be warned they are liable to being shot. Any violence outside the curfew zones should be dealt with serverely. The police chief should go on TV and explain that any further riotting will be met with severe physical beatings for all involved from now on and the risk of being shot at if people in the curfew areas leave their home at any point.
5) All mobile phone base stations in the curfew zones should be shut down to prevent the rioters communicating. All phonelines should be shutdown to the houses preventing all calls except to the emergency services, jamming devices should be used to prevent all radio comms on all frequencies except the emergency services and government radio.
6) Each block and street should be sealed off by armed units to prevent any re-grouping and allow for each house to be checked systematically.
7) When the areas are locked down, prison trucks should be brought in escorted by the foreign legion and riot police, and along with the immigration authorities house to house raids should begin to capture every single illegal immigrant and dual citizen, and deport them all immediately on hired planes and military aircraft. If this takes time then so be it, encampments should be set-up for them to wait in.
8) Once the illegals are being dealt with, the raids should search houses for petrol bombs, weapons, etc. Anyone found with these or any evidence of riotting should be arrested.
9) Military and police helicopters with sharp shooters should be sent over the curfew areas to deal with any curfew breakers immediately.
10) The right to citizenship just because someone happened to drop out of a womb in France should be abolished. They should have to have 2 French parents not of dual-citizenship. The right to strip someone of their citizenship for crimes should be brought back, on condition that someone has the possibility of getting citizenship somewhere else in the world.
11) Voluntary repatriation should be brought in to encourage the immigrants to return home with generous financial rewards and schemes which in the long run would still be cheaper than cleaning up after them when they decide to riot next or paying their welfare cost.
12) Citizens should be given the right to use any force they deem necessary to protect their property.
13) France should reform its economy to embrace free market economics and abandon the old style socialist policies it still retains as regards labour.
14) France should pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights and ban all asylum applications, stating that they should go to the NEAREST SAFE COUNTRY, and all France's neighbours are stable democracies, therefore unless they are from France's neighbours, they do not have a right to claim asylum there.
15) Jean Marie Le Pen should be elected the next President of the Republic, and if the rioting continues (lets hope so) there is a good chance of that.
Le CRS
Let's have a look at reality..
13.11.2005 12:48
What a bright future for mankind these heroes are creating out of their own bare hands.
The french politicians don't give a damn about these immigrants. They never have. It's been like this since the end of the war between France and the algerian liberation movement, FLN (not to be confused with the FNL of Vietnam).
I don't give a damn about a few burning cars and in the long run no one in France will as well.
This doesn't mean I don't care about the future of young people in France or elsewhere in this world.
But what I do want to emphasize is the importance of understanding some basic aspects of the european phenomena of mass unemployment.
The real problem, which is indeed an all-european one, is that our governments COULD do something for the unemployed masses of this continent, but will NOT as long as these invertabrates accept being subordinated to the finacial market.
Today there is an urgent need for a better infrastucture in all of Europe. One example is the idiotical lack of proper motorway connections between Italy and her neighbour countries in the alp region. Another one is the lack of decent rail and road connections between Sweden (and because of this also Norway and large parts of Finland) and Germany.
In both these cases things have been done to some extent, but far from enough.
Both northern Italy and Sweden are parts of Europe with lots of heavy and other industry as well as a devoloped business life in general. The (true) merging between these regions and the european "heartland" is a question as vital to european economy as that of creating a rail connection between Ohio and the american east coast was in the 19th century.
All experience of economical history tells us that when communications between important centres of production are greatly improved this will have a major, beneficial impact on the economy as a whole.
A good example of this is the positive effects of the newly built bridge between Denmark and Sweden (connecting Denmarks largest city, Copenhagen with Swedens third largest city, Malmoe).
In eastern Europe even more work is needed.
Investments in these areas WOULD pay off.
We could go on talking about energy distribution, enviromental protection, health care etc, etc.
Also in these cases heavy investments would be economically beneficial for society as a whole.
In these different fields, people who today are unemployed could make a great contribution to european development.
But they're not allowed to.
Austerity programmes are top priority on the agendas of european governments, as well as the EU.
What a sensless waste of human ability and opportuniy.
Being intellectual hostages to the (macro) economical theory of monetarism (which main decree simply is that politicians ought to leave the devolopment of a market economy up to private business and only to private business) most european politicians are sitting around, being satisfied with planning different austerity measures, waiting for things to improve by themselves.
In economical history the greatest improvements hasn't been made through such moronic policies. Sooner we can conclude that the contrary concept, that of active government investment in infrastucture is more effective.
Have a look at these examples:
- How Roosevelt got the US out of the depression
- How Japan and Germany miracuosly were rebuilt after the end of WW2
- How Germany developed from a backward, feudal economy to an industrial super power during the years round 1850 to the beginning of WW1
- How Sweden managed to achieve the most dramatic economical growth any country has ever enjoyed measuring centurywise fom 1870-1970.
These success stories has nothing to do with obeying the sacred decrees of monetarism.
When all of Europe, politicians as well as french rioters, start realizing this, we can go to work and create a continent where everyone will be "integrated" with the societies they live in.
quack-quack
hallo
14.11.2005 23:46
doman ellisa
help
16.11.2005 23:32
avm
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