Injustice and Unrest Test Macron’s Government

Critics are disappointed in French President Emmanuel Macron’s response to the recent widespread unrest.

“I want to live.” Photo taken during a Black Lives Matter protest in Paris. June 7, 2020. (Photo by Thomas de LUZE on Unsplash.)

“The fatal police shooting of a teenager rocked France: Was it a ‘George Floyd Moment?’” wondered Kim Hjelmgaard for USA Today on July 5, 2023.

Hjelmgaard wasn’t the only media politico to draw such parallels.

“Behind French Riots Lie Years of Anger Over Police Conduct,” noted Matthew Dalton dispassionately for the Wall Street Journal this week. “Law-enforcement tactics that once remained in the shadows are now surfacing in videos, prompting investigations and inflaming the public.”

In the U.S., it’s a sad but familiar tale.

The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked widespread protests and outrage not only in the United States but also around the world, including in France.

In Paris, the reaction to George Floyd’s murder led to several protests and gatherings, primarily organized by anti-racist and human rights organizations, as well as activist groups. Thousands of people took to the streets, particularly in the Place de la République and near the U.S. Embassy, to express their solidarity with the protests happening in the United States and to call attention to racial injustice and police brutality both internationally and within…