RECAP: Following the meeting of the interministerial cell on violence in France, the President of the Republic announced the establishment of “additional means”
- Emmanuel Macron denounced Friday “an unacceptable instrumentalization of the death of a teenager” following the death of young Nahel during a police check in Nanterre.
- The president also announced that “additional means” would be deployed by the Minister of the Interior after three nights of urban riots.
- Between parental responsibility and denunciation of the role of social networks, 20 minutes takes stock of the statements of the tenant of the Elysée.
Three consecutive nights that urban riots broke out all over France. They follow the death of Nahel, a young 17-year-old driver killed by police fire Tuesday morning in Nanterre. To put an end to the violence, Emmanuel Macron announced this Friday that “additional means” would be deployed by the Minister of the Interior, while festive events will be cancelled. The Head of State also called for the responsibility of parents, pointed to video games and social networks … Update on the statements of the tenant of the Elysée after a second interministerial crisis committee in two days.
An “unacceptable instrumentalisation”
The President of the Republic denounced “an unacceptable manipulation of the death of a teenager, which we all deplore when the period should be one of meditation and respect”, at the conclusion of the meeting of the interministerial crisis unit which took place is held Friday at the Ministry of the Interior.
“Faced with this, I condemn in the strongest terms all those who use this situation and this moment to try to create disorder and attack our institutions. They bear an overwhelming factual responsibility. And I condemn with the greatest firmness, we condemn them all, this pure and unjustifiable violence which has no legitimacy, ”continued Emmanuel Macron.
Additional means
The president welcomed the “rapid and appropriate” response from the police and announced that “additional means” would be deployed by the Ministry of the Interior. Elisabeth Borne then clarified the deployment of armoured vehicles from the gendarmerie. “Additional mobile forces” will also be deployed, Matignon told AFP.
Cancelled events
“The decision has been taken to cancel several festive events and several gatherings in the departments which are the most sensitive”, also indicated Emmanuel Macron. This is particularly the case of the concerts of Mylène Farmer who was to occur Friday and Saturday at the Stade de France.
“Responsibility” of parents
The President of the Republic also took advantage of this speech to call on “all parents to be responsible” who, according to him, must keep their children at home. “It is clear that the context we are living in, as we can see, is the result of sometimes organised, violent and equipped groups, which we condemn, which we apprehend and which will be brought to justice, but also of many young people. A third of those arrested last night are young people, sometimes very young people, ”observed Emmanuel Macron.
“It’s the parent’s responsibility to keep them at home. So it is important for everyone’s peace of mind that parental responsibility can clearly be exercised. (…) The Republic is not intended to replace them”, he continued.
Video games and social networks implicated
He also said he expected a “spirit of responsibility” from the major social media platforms, citing, in particular, Snapchat and TikTok where “violent gatherings” are organised and which “also arouse a form of mimicry of violence, which leads to young people to a form of exit from reality”. “We sometimes have the feeling that some of them live on the street with the video games that have intoxicated them,” said Emmanuel Macron.
“The law has provided, including in recent months, for changes and the exercise of parental control which should be fully respected, but we will take several measures in the coming hours (…) first in connection with these platforms, to organize the removal of the most sensitive content,” announced the Head of State. “Requests will also be made wherever it is useful and whenever it is useful, to have the identity of those who use these social networks to call for disorder or to exacerbate violence”, he said. -He specifies.
