France has all but descended into a state of civil war following the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in Nanterre, a West Paris suburb. For several nights since his death at the hands of a seemingly trigger-happy French police officer, the country has been in a state of turmoil with many cities across the country torched and ransacked.
As President Emmanuel Macron bopped away at an Elton John concert in Paris, the streets were awash with disaffected youths, rioters and thousands of angry protestors hurling fireworks at phalanxes of anti-terrorism police, and raiding shops. Friends tell me that the popping of fireworks could be heard throughout the city and fires lit up the night skies. The full facts of why a teenager was shot and killed by a policeman when he failed to stop his vehicle for a check are yet to emerge but it’s fairly obvious that he was breaking the law. Why else would he not have stopped the car and was it his, anyway? All the same, whether young Nahel was guilty of a driving offence or not, there is no justification whatsoever for the shocking actions of the police officer concerned. Why are French officers allowed to act with impunity when it comes to firearms and how on earth could they believe that this kind of grotesque behaviour could be acceptable on any level?
Of course, following the incident, a cool and calm response was needed to establish the truth but also humanity. A mother lost her precious son and a marginalised community felt shocked, vulnerable, bereft and above all, incensed. Instead of addressing the nation and speaking from the heart about the situation and even meeting the mother of Nahel privately to express his sorrow, Macron called in the heavies, deploying 45,000 officers on the streets. He showed no empathy and certainly no real remorse.
The situation in France has been dire for some years, a veritable tinderbox of angry immigrant communities who feel like second-class citizens versus much of the rest of the country which frankly wishes that most of their ‘guests’ would leave. The fact that the killer of the teenager has already received more than one million euros of support via Go Fund Me while the family of Nahel had, as of yesterday, only received 200,000€, really says it all. The cops have massive support and sympathy from the French and immigrant communities are shunned. There is no real multicultural society in the country and if one looks at the history of France’s relationship with Algeria, it’s not so surprising.
But where does Macron go from here and how does he heal such an open wound? Making sure that the investigation into Nahel’s death is transparent and that the officer concerned is held accountable is a priority. It would be impossible to imagine that the killer could be released back on the streets after all this. Still, with over a million euros awaiting him in his Go Fund me account, he’ll probably serve just a few years in jail and then retire grandly with his accumulated windfall somewhere far away, thanks to his supportive and complicit countrymen.
Power of Mama
Borneo, the large island in southeast Asia, is home to 420 species of birds, 230 mammals and 15,000 plant species and yet is under constant threat of wildfires, many caused through traditional farming methods which include slash-and-burn. It is home to the wondrous and endangered Orangutan and many a playful elephant. When I visited the region some years ago, I was horrified to see the effects of logging and corn oil production that destroyed the migratory routes and natural habitats of large animals, particularly elephants. Happily, help is at hand thanks to a group of 50 local women known as Power of Mama who have taken it upon themselves to police the forests in the southwest and to educate traditional farmers about the dangers of their burning practices. In this zone, women traditionally stay at home and bring up the children, but this lively mob have got themselves trained in firefighting techniques and all ride motorbikes as they go about their work. It’s so wonderful to learn about uplifting communities making a difference in the world, preserving nature and precious wildlife and all on a voluntary basis. May Power of Mama grow and keep the forests forever safe.
Tired of tennis
It’s the first year that I have taken zero interest in tennis. As a teenager I would dutifully queue for hours after school to see the greats playing on centre court at Wimbledon and all for about a quid, but now it’s so much more sophisticated, nay boring and predictable, and most of the players I’ve never heard of. I used to keep a logbook of games and victors each year while at school and I’ve always enjoyed watching my heroes, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer play, but the up and coming set leaves me cold. I feel bad about this as they’re probably a lovely and worthy bunch, but I feel no motivation whatsoever to watch them. They’re horribly well-behaved and robotic, even if some chicks do wear subversive black knickers. Good old Andy Murray is still in with a chance though I remember back to the greats I was lucky enough to meet and watch such as Nãstase, Connors, McEnroe, Evert and Navratilova and in comparison, the new breed seem awfully nice but dare I say it, a tad dull.