I am certainly not the only person who sometimes finds it rather strange that contemporary protests in France are attributed by some people to particular ethnic groups. In my view, this is partly a matter of ignorance, partly politics, and partly simply the result of making foolish claims without understanding French culture.
In my view,
France
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| Ossuaire de Douaumont |
France has a very long tradition of intense political and social mobilization. Its roots can be traced back to the French Revolution and the revolutionary and workers’ movements of the nineteenth century. Mass mobilisation and social pressure became established ways of pursuing political and social demands in France.
Very important part of this tradition is the French concept of rapport de force — the idea that a social group can build up enough pressure to force change. Protest therefore does not necessarily have to be seen merely as an expression of opinion, but also as a means of negotiation and a way of shifting the balance of power.
Wars and decolonization also became part of this history. In particular, the Algerian War of 1954–1962 brought a major conflict directly into metropolitan France. Algerians living in France organised demonstrations of their own, while French society itself was deeply divided over colonialism, the war, and the future of Algeria. The events of 17 October 1961 and the Charonne station demonstration in 1962 demonstrate how dramatically tensions between the state, the police and protesters could escalate.
Even more significant was 1968.
May 1968 did not begin as a protest over immigration. It began as a student movement, but workers and other sections of French society quickly joined it. This was followed by a massive general strike involving millions of employees, according to historical estimates. The protests affected universities, factories, schools and public spaces across the country. The concerns of that generation also included the Vietnam War, authority, working conditions and broader demands for social change.
This history is important for understanding France today.
French protest culture is not something that immigration brought into the country, as is sometimes suggested.
The French police and government themselves are not claiming that migrants are the driving force behind the current protests. In fact, their current claim is quite different: that the mobilization is being driven or exploited by the radical left, particularly LFI (La France insoumise) and certain student and trade union organizations.To French protest culture, immigrants and their descendants could instead gradually become part of an already established French culture of protest, just as they could become involved in many other areas of French social and political life.
Contemporary protests may therefore have their own specific social, economic or political causes, but the mere fact that protests in France can become highly intense or even violent is nothing new. It is part of a much longer historical development. French people can sometimes look like an abolitionists in their approach to political and social issues.
It is also reasonable to assume that if France were directly attacked, its strong tradition of collective mobilization and historical memory of the Resistance could contribute to civilian resistance, rather than leaving the defense of the country exclusively to the armed forces.
In this respect, as in many others, the French experience can provide useful examples. In some societies, people may not even recognize the systematic erosion of their capacity for a war crimes and other serious abuses. In a society such as France, however, rather than once again taking a similar approach, it is reasonable to expect much stronger resistance.
In conclusion, from a historical and cultural perspective, the French culture of intense protest or resistance is a phenomenon that is deeply rooted throughout French society.