Counter-Demonstrations

A short article in Novopress (local Lyons edition) confirms again that the vast majority of rioters were immigrants, primarily North Africans. The affirmation was based on another article in Le Progrès:

Who are the troublemakers that have been swarming throughout Lyons since last Tuesday? In most cases, until last night (Thursday October 21, when the crowds were more mixed) they were young persons of North African origin, 14 to 18 years of age. Among those who were arrested, some were already known to the police, others not at all. Most of them - but not all - were enrolled in trade schools in the Lyons region. A spokesman for a teachers' union said that there was "a much heavier atmosphere in the schools than in previous years due to reforms that created organization problems. The pupils felt the tension in the teachers and it rebounded onto them." The agitators were not only males. All observers were struck by the great number of girls present in the streets. (...)

Novopress adds a quote from Le Parisien:

In a communiqué, Philippe Meunier, the UMP deputy from the department of Rhône said he favored:

"(...) expulsion from France of vandals of foreign nationalities (...) We are faced with predators whose only objective is to destroy, pillage and attack the French population."

He also recommended "severe punishment for these criminals."

Note: He recommends expulsion only of those who have foreign nationalities. Those who are naturalized French citizens can, however, be stripped of their citizenship, though that is not very likely to happen.

As far as I know the deputy did not recommend that the borders be sealed or that all immigration stop.

In retaliation for the pillaging of the city by the ghetto youth, the members of the Bloc Identitaire of Lyons decided to stage their own counter-demonstration on October 22. According to Novopress (the news agency for the Bloc Identitaire):

Four hundred young residents of Lyons gathered to express their exasperation: their patience had run out. They paraded in the streets of la Presqu'ile, chanting things like "La racaille, t'es foutue, les Lyonnais sont dans la rue" or "Maîtres chez nous"! for about an hour.

Note: Roughly translated the slogans said, "Thugs, you are washed up, the people of Lyons are in the streets" and "Masters in our house".

La Presqu'ile is an historic quarter of the city.

According to the police, 328 of the demonstrators were arrested without incident. Surprisingly, the proportion is much greater than among the vandals. Is it better to be a vandal? Those arrested were taken to the Marius-Berliet police headquarters in a special convoy of eight buses, and were released just before 9:00 p.m. after an identity check.

This spontaneous rally was supported by the merchants and citizens of Lyons, traumatized by the violent vandalism and destruction by gangs of thugs while the demonstrations against retirement reform were going on. If calm is not restored in the city streets, other demonstrations by the Bloc Identitaire are likely to be organized.

Note: A last-minute addition to the article, dated October 25, gives this information:

Out of 328 arrested, 12 were considered to be the leaders of this demonstration. They were not released but held for 43 hours in custody. And their homes were searched! Even though the demonstrations took place in the greatest calm.

Below, a two-minute video of the counter-demonstration. They sing the Marseillaise, the police watch them, then at the very end the police seem to be rushing one of them. The reason for this action is not clear.



I say "bravo" to the Bloc Identitaire. They may be a small group, but they are resolute in their determination to represent the oppressed ethnic French population. They make noise, and the old saying: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" hopefully applies here.