November 18 Soccer Match - Update

The scene above took place in Toulouse after last Wednesday's game. The French flag was pulled down, and replaced by the Algerian flag. A YouTube video of the act, that I had orignally included in this post, has been removed. However, a reader of François Desouche made a copy at RuTube. I have not been able to acces it, but those of you with faster computers may not experience that difficulty.



An article in La Dépêche gives the reactions of Jean-Paul Makengo (left), adjunct in charge of diversity and equality at the Capitole de Toulouse (City Hall). It should be added that a conference of the European coalition of cities against racism was being held in Toulouse at the time of this "event". He begins by saying that flags can be flown from balconies of private apartments, but that public areas must be respected. He goes on to explain the reasons for the eruption of disrespect:

- How do you analyze the pulling down of the French flag, replacing it with the Algerian flag?

- There are two things. First, you can see the foolishness of a group of fans that must not be confused with the notion of not liking France.

But we are also faced with a population that suffers from a lack of pride, and when a stigmatized group exists collectively, it demonstrates that fact in public. Unfortunately, that often means damage or attacks on the symbols of the Republic. In general, people systematically sent a negative image of themselves by society eventually exhibit their difference through acts of provocation. But you mustn't confuse fans who "act like fools" with a communitarian closing of ranks.

- What do you suggest we do to prevent these paroxystic reactions?

- For them to stop there must be an effort on both sides: these populations must realize that they are fully French, and France also has to consider them as Frenchmen. You can't ask them to make an effort towards us, if you continually remind them of their difference.

The photo below attests to the activity in Paris on the Champs-Elyséés the night of November 18. For more photos click here.


However the 6-minute video below gives an even more vivid glimpse at the "festivities" on the Champs-Elysées.



François Desouche provides a city by city synopsis of the toll taken by the outbursts of Algerian nationalism last Wednesday after the game. There are also about twenty videos showing scenes from most major French cities besides Paris. Included among the cities are Montreal and Brussels. Here is just a sampling of some statistics:

Lyons: a good twenty cars burnt. Numerous fires, and projectiles thrown at firemen. About 1200 persons wandered about all evening in the chaos of the downtown area, wearing the Algerian flag around their neck and hurling smoke bombs and firecrackers. They blocked traffic between Rhône and Saône and broke three store fronts.

Avignon: The downtown area was completely blocked. Hundreds of people filled the streets after the game, carrying Algerian flags and standing on top of cars. (...) By 11:30 p.m., a dozen fires, including six cars had been put out by the firemen.

Grenoble: The police had to use tear gas; they arrested at least three people early in the evening. Several cars were burnt and an armored van was hit by stones.

The city of Roubaix in the northern department of le Nord experienced special problems. According to a post at François Desouche the trouble there was pre-organized:

The State prosecutor Frédéric Fèvre (...) hypothesized that the actions had been prepared and organized in advance.

"We found ourselves in darkness just one minute after the game ended. The whole street was affected," relates a journalist from la Voix du Nord who was in the neighborhood of Epeule that evening. According to the D.A. it was in fact a "sabotage" of an transformer at Place Carnot that cut off the electricity to parts of Epeule.

The article states that 450 homes were deprived of electricity, and that there had been other attempts to rig the transformers.

Another troubling element of this inquiry was the discovery that evening of "caches" of projectiles (...) and bags containing paving bricks and incendiary devices.

"It was totally irresponsible," observed Frédéric Fèvre who gave details of the evening's toll: thirty-five cars damaged, including twenty-six that were burnt, a hundred containers burnt, ten store fronts smashed, two attempts to vandalize shops - avoided thanks to police intervention, an attempted arson at a social center, and thirty-seven arrests in Roubaix.

Nine people were immediately arraigned before a judge, while twenty-eight held in custody were released.