Twelve days after the killing of Nahel, his death and the other killings at the hands of French police are in everyone's minds, still
French authorities struggle to face the facts, but French people do
Dear friends and readers,
Since the late June events and the killing of 17-year-Old Algerian French Nahel in Nanterre, France is still obsessively trying to assess its mistake.
When it comes to police brutality, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), made up of 18 independent experts, flagged concerns on racial profiling and the excessive use of force by law enforcement" in France.
Yet the current French government remains stubbornly in denial.
Last Sunday, I was invited to comment on the events, as I live nearby, grew up around in the western suburbs of Paris, and followed the issue of police brutality for a decade, as well as the “quartier”s for over 15 years.
First, here is what I said on Channel 4 News, the British channel:
‘People feel like the police are constantly attacking them’, says French-Algerian journalist Melissa Chemam
They invited me to speak live from the Champs Élysées, where their reporter had been filming some protests the night before.
It was the first time I walked by the famous avenue in years…
I couldn’t help but notice how unaffected central Paris was, and mostly always is, by these issues: poverty, segregation, violence, police brutality. Only the 18th and 19th district, where I lived most of my adult life, bear resemblance with the rest of the problematic suburban areas of big cities, Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille…
Later that night, I was invited to speak on the British news radio LBC.
And the next morning, to write a piece for the i newspaper, also British.
Here is the piece:
‘Nothing can change if we’re in denial’: French-Algerian journalist on the riots that have rocked her hometown
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/french-algerian-journalist-riots-rocked-hometown-2449948
There would be more to say.
As the authorities are banning protest marches and the use of fireworks, they’re not bringing any answers, let alone plans to prevent the immigrants to become even poorer, even more ostracised and even more targeted by the police and army forces.
In the past few years, I have reported, mostly in French, on the life of people in “les quartiers”, mostly for France Culture and Deutsche Welle.
*
But since the terrorist attacks of 2015, my last appearance on France Culture, I’ve been less and less hosted on French media.
As you may know, as an attempt to sidetrack from the rise of hatred and the far right, I spent more time writing about culture, arts, music and films that deal with multiculturalism and anti-racism.
This week, this work culminated when I was invited to host a conversation with the Guyanese British artist Hew Locke at the Royal Academy.
Such a conversation still seems to me very unlikely to take place in France…
Yet, Hew and I are nonetheless dreaming about it, to bring his art, linking all the parts of the former British Empire to China, Europe and beyond, to … the former French Empire, and its still very post-colonial capital, Paris.
If you want to know more, or even listen to the conversation, do message me.
*
In the meantime, my daily job remains to inform on African news…
Here are very important stories, from Sudan, Kenya, Senegal, Mali...
*
For now, thanks for reading, reflecting, sharing…
With best wishes,
melissa
-
-
Melissa Chemam
Journalist & Writer
@ RFI English, New Arab, ART UK
Newsletter:
