France is experiencing a wave of unrest as leftist groups and immigrants clash with authorities. The protests, which began as a rally planned by the General Confederation of Labor and other leftist outfits, quickly turned violent and destructive.
What happened
The riots, which took place on the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Paris massacre, saw protesters flying the Palestinian flag and the colors of North African countries, including Algeria and Morocco. The choice to hold the protests on this date was seen as a deliberate attempt to tap into Algerian grievance politics.
According to Luke Foster, an assistant professor of government at Hillsdale College, the new left in France has shifted its focus from working-class issues to sexual and racial politics, and is now relying on easily mobilizable immigrants and the children of immigrants to help channel revolutionary pressure.
The riots were characterized as immigrant-dependent, with protesters using the language and symbols of Islamist politics. The suspect arrested in connection with the torching of the historic town hall in Limoges was identified as a member of the ultra-left.
French conservative activist Thaïs d'Escufon described the situation as an unholy alliance between the far left and immigrants, who have become the street-level enforcers of the far left, spreading chaos and destruction.
