Violent conflicts are still occurring, government governance is being questioned, and many European countries are experiencing the “second weekend of protests”

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] A new round of demonstrations broke out in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and other European countries on the 24th. In France alone, about 410,000 people participated (the union said about 800,000 people). With the French government deploying additional police and strictly controlling the situation, the demonstrations were generally calm and the level of violence was lower than last week. However, violent conflicts still occurred in many cities such as Paris, and more than 1,300 people were arrested across the country. Euronews said that protests swept across Europe, reflecting all kinds of dissatisfaction across the continent. France 24 TV station stated that the protesters were directly targeting the French government. A Chinese scholar told the Global Times on the 25th that large-scale protests have exposed serious governance problems in many European countries, and what the people urgently need is for the government to solve these problems, instead of indulging in preaching on other countries’ affairs and turning a blind eye to their own conflicts.

Shops were looted again, thousands arrested

Following the 17th, large-scale demonstrations took place again in many places in France on the 24th to protest against rising living costs, insufficient educational resources and other issues. Most of the demonstrations were held in a relatively calm atmosphere, with many teams marching accompanied by music and slogans, but violent conflicts still occurred in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice and other cities after evening. According to preliminary news from the French Interior Ministry on the 25th, 1,314 people were detained nationwide, compared with 2,628 last Saturday; the number of injured members of the French security forces was 53, compared with 1,144 last week. During this demonstration, a total of 75 fire accidents occurred across the country, compared with 2,025 last week; many shops were damaged, 24 of which were looted, and 1,522 shops were affected last week.

According to statistics from the Paris police, about 110,000 people participated in the demonstration on the 24th, while the French Federation of Trade Unions said there were 250,000 people. The police temporarily adjusted the parade route on the 23rd, changing the original route from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation from Porte d’Italie, which is farther away from the city center, to Porte de Vincennes, and marching along the Avenue Marshal on the outskirts of Paris. On the evening of the 24th, conflicts broke out near the end of the parade. Some people threw glass bottles and stones at the police. The police responded with tear gas and water cannons. The doors and windows of some shops near the Vincennes Gate were damaged, including an Audi car dealership.

Other French cities also saw varying degrees of damage. Fires broke out in many places in the center of Marseille, some shops were attacked, and at least seven shops were smashed, looted and damaged to varying degrees. The provincial government of Isère said that about 400 masked men carried out sabotage and attacked police with fireworks and other projectiles. In Nantes, demonstrators broke through the police cordon and rushed into the city center where parades were prohibited. Fierce conflicts broke out between police and civilians. Some radicals attacked shops along the street. A famous chain jewelry store was set on fire and looted.

On the same day, people in many Italian cities held demonstrations to protest against the rising cost of living, opposition to military expansion, and increases in armaments. Some demonstrations in the capital Rome, the northern cities Turin, Bologna and other places triggered clashes between police and civilians. In Barcelona, ​​Spain, some young people responded to calls on social media to hold protests, some of which turned into smashing, setting fires and looting stores. More than 120 people were arrested by the police for damaging public property and robbing.

The government is unable to control the situation, and people complain that they “can only rely on themselves”

France’s latest round of demonstrations and riots is already taking a toll on business activity. A “Global Times” reporter saw on the 24th in a commercial street near the Paris City Hall that many shops had added wooden boards to their display windows, and the originally carefully arranged product display windows were tightly covered. Some stores remain open with only their entrances and exits open, while others simply close. The manager of a boutique luggage store that was still open told reporters: “This is Saturday, and we cannot afford the loss of closing. If it is covered, tourists will not be able to see anything. I heard that the government has strengthened the police force, hoping to control the situation.” Near the Porta Italia, due to the temporary adjustment of the parade route the day before, many businesses along the route had no time to strengthen their doors and windows, so they chose to close their doors directly.

The latest survey by French BFMTV shows that more than 60% of French people are currently considering self-protection. A lawyer who asked not to be named said: “In the past, we knew which places were lawless places, which were the ‘lost territories’ of the Republic. Now people will ask: Has the Republic itself fallen? Because lawlessness is spreading outwards.” The lawyer is trying to find ways to “get weapons.” “Of course this is illegal, but if the state can guarantee my safety, why do I need to do it?” He said, “This is the social contract! We have paid enough taxes, but our personal and property safety are not guaranteed. In the end, we can only rely on ourselves.”

The British “Guardian” published an editorial that France “sneeze” and Europe has another “cold”. The wave of riots that began among high school students quickly spread across France and then across the European continent, turning into violent conflicts. With the arrival of winter, energy prices are expected to rise further, and the scope of demands and participation of the French people may continue to expand. However, the French president is completely unable to cope with the current situation. The people’s dissatisfaction shows no signs of subside, and there is no hope of a quick solution.

Riots create a vicious cycle

Harsh V. Pant, professor of international relations at King’s College London, wrote in the Times of India on the 25th that the direct consequences of large-scale riots in France cover many aspects such as social stability, economic confidence and political authority. Violence and demonstrations have disrupted business activities and public services, damaged businesses and public infrastructure, and caused huge losses to businesses themselves, insurance companies and local governments. Continued strikes and protests threaten to exacerbate France’s economic woes, creating a vicious cycle in which political unrest erodes investor confidence, rising financing costs limit the government’s fiscal flexibility, and further spending curbs trigger a new round of social opposition.

Zhao Junjie, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told a reporter from the Global Times that large-scale demonstrations and riots in France have not been quelled for a long time. Not only is the government unable to respond to the demands of the protest groups, it is even unable to protect the safety and economic interests of law-abiding citizens and businesses. This exposes the false human rights slogan of the West’s so-called “liberty, equality, and fraternity.” With high energy prices, soaring government fiscal deficits and rising social inequality, France is facing problems that are also examples of the troubles in some European countries. What is worth noting is the “double standards” attitude of Western countries and human rights groups in this incident. They have used the banner of human rights on issues involving Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc. to accuse China, slander and spread rumors, and even use economic sanctions, but they have turned a deaf ear to their own serious economic and social problems. This once again shows that “human rights” are just a tool for them, and Europe is not qualified to call itself a “human rights defender” and make irresponsible remarks on other countries.