July 14th every year marks Bastille day for France.However this year14 July 2009 marks a new turn after a series of riots and protests resulting in the burning of 317 cars and 13 police injured.The genesis of the riots is being traced to the French town of Firminy where protesters took to the streets following the death of Mohamed Benmouna, a local supermarket cashier who was taken from his police cell in a coma and later died in hospital in queer circumstances .
It so happens that Amnesty international has previously issued a damning report on Police Brutality in France which basically means according to the adage "where there is smoke there could be fire" something is wrong here .
I wonder if UN Rapporteur Philip Alston should visit France and issue a damning report to the current French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the French Police Commisioner/ Comisar or the Inspecteur General 'Inspecteur général '. Unfortunately it seems that when international bodies deal with African Affairs often double standards are applied.I believe there are many atrocities that have been committed under the guise of war against terror yet you will not hear of a"Waki Envelope" or ICC investigation of such crimes against humanity yet many Africans express full confidence in such institutions. Human Justice is frail and subject to certain interests.
Bastille day is celebrated in France each year on July 14 to mark the storming of the Bastille fortress prison on the same day in 1789( see wikipedia stub on Bastille Day)The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the Monarch's power was no longer absolute: power should be based and emanate from the people. It is this act that led to fundamental doctrine in constitutional law to wit: the principle of separation of powers.
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Moni
Not sure that double standard can be applied here. But I agree with Amnesty's remark, the French police under Sarkozy is rough, very rough.
ReplyDeleteBurning cars in France is now a tradition and it has nothing to do with the controversial death of Mohamed, it is just a pretext. It has become a tradition to burn cars on Bastille and New Year days, it is just a game of cats and dogs between youth and police.
About Mohamed's story, he was found hanged in his temporary cell room. It seems he commited suicide. A march was organised but it was peaceful.
The conclusion of the above story is that "French are good fighter". Did you ever took time to get the lyrics of the Nationa Anthem ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Marseillaise
"Do you hear in the countryside
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They come right here into your midst
To slit the throats of your sons and wives!
To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let's march, let's march!
May a tainted blood
Drench our furrows!"
You said "By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the Monarch's power was no longer absolute: power should be based and emanate from the people." - French history is very very rich. This is one of the many things that French are proud of with abolition of slavery, separation between State and Church and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
And yesterday, a free live show was performed near the Effeil Tower and 800,000 people were there !! Yep, almost one million persons !!
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victor
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victor
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victor
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