France is facing one of the most significant rebellions in recent history. The movement has spread all across France and countries like Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada. The protests began after the police’s murder of Naël, a 17 year old of Algerian descent. We salute all the participants in these protests who seek justice for Naël and struggle against the violence of the French state.
The background of these protests are the racist policies of the French state against its nonwhite population, particularly Arabs, Africans, and Muslims. These policies developed with the colonial past of France, who executed some of the most brutal acts of the colonial period in Africa. France continues to colonize Africa with its financial and military presence, exploiting its workforce and plundering its resources.
While it continues its imperialist policies in Africa, Franch state and its collaborators continue to employ centuries-old discourses of “barbarians,” “looters,” “hordes” etc. to characterize the protestors. These are classic state propaganda mechanisms that we see also in our geography. If anyone wants to see looting, one merely needs to look at the history and current imperialist economy of France.
Only a true international working class unity on the basis of solidarity of peoples can achieve a world without exploitation, borders and classes. The French proletariat has been struggling against the pension age increase and state violence towards the working class for over half a year and now all the oppressed peoples of France are fighting against the racist policies of the French state.
We call on all the workers and peoples of the world to stand in solidarity with the resisting peoples and workers in France.
Down with capitalist-imperialism!
Long live international solidarity!
Justice pour Naël!
