FOR THE FIRST time since its 1987 defeat, the French 'orthodox' right has launched a racist offensive against France's black population. Giscard d'Estaing and ex Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, large sections of the French right are now trying to outdo the fascist Front National (FN)
lierre Mauroy NOTECTUEY (S). said of the current unity offensive towards the extreme right:
Unil rentiy, divisions in the right have just made me smile: now their constant al tempts to outbid cach other make me shudder. orthodox' right has a history of France's ATTaCA OT black community In 1986, the joint RR/UDF retten manifesto propaned to abolish the right of children born in France of immigrant restrict that right for those marrying French people.
In addition, it proposed that any candidate would have to swear 'to be loyal to the French Republic, its laws and But this move towards the worovoxcu an burcey, drw was beaten back by the massive student mobilisations that swept France some monts For the students were not only against the right's attacks but also identified with the anti-racist movemens Kasine Tens of thousands chanted slogans defending peoplé's rights on the student demonstrations; and joined a La few months later in racism March 87 And when Devaquet, the ducation minister, was forced winaraw sne causon the reforms to the nationality code went with them in a refreat by P'rime Minister Jacques Chirac. ported by Chirac, is once again nothing subtle about the new V185 8888 8888 808800 cople each year. Dubbing France's migrants "Invasion', Giscard's allies have said that without an alliance with the fascists, France would become an African and socialist boulevard given over to anarchy". Jcanmarie Le l'en, FN leader, is lap "'The heart of Giscard's proposal is to amend the French Consu so sas e tesal to nationality would be based not on 'residence" , but on blood' As for Edith Crosson's un sopular socialist government he has not taken the oppor head anti-racist counterInstead, both she and the 'in. tegratior minister Kofi Yamgnane have pledged to control immigration, and called for black people to drop their year oopened fire, kiling a 15 At the Pont de Neuilly the police • youth. ane snooans went on for a further half-hour. At Metro stations, Algerians were attacked as soon as they came onto the streets. When protesters thea to block rolas.
police encouraged motorists to inve into tia In Nanterre the demonstrators were led by carrying small children - but they too werd victously attacked.
Thousands were arrested and stadiums, where they held and they were savagely beaten. Twenty years earlier the Nazis had detained the Jewish community in the same places.
Censored
Despite the brutality of the police attacks, virtually oni protested. Newspaper reports were heavily censored. The few who raised some criticism were more concerned that the violence happened on the streets of Paris Savage attacks on the Algerians were everyday occurrences. As long as the attacks were contined to the siettoe.
French 'liberal' opinion wa: knows how many died. The official police figure is three