In the aftermath of nationwide riots that erupted over the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his belief that the government should explore the possibility of severing young people’s access to social media. During a meeting with over 200 mayors, Macron emphasized the need for France to exert control over or completely cut off social media platforms for the youth “when situations spiral out of control,” as reported by The Guardian. The President attributed some of the blame for the violent unrest, triggered by the shooting of a 17-year-old Muslim by a police officer during a traffic stop, to social networking sites such as TikTok, which were allegedly exploited to orchestrate the mobs.
Macron asserted, “We must contemplate the manner in which young individuals utilize social networks… and in circumstances where matters escalate, we may have to regulate or even disconnect them.” He further emphasized the importance of avoiding impulsive actions, stating, “Above all, we must not act in the heat of the moment, and I am glad we were able to refrain from doing so.”
He added, “I believe this is a genuine discussion that we must engage in with a clear mind.”
However, politicians from various political affiliations criticized the Prime Minister’s proposal, asserting that it would push France towards an authoritarian regime.
“Cutting off social media? Are we to become like China, Iran, or North Korea? Even if this is meant as a provocation to divert attention, it is in extremely poor taste,” remarked Olivier Marleix, a member of the center-Right Les Républicains.
Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party, also condemned Macron’s idea and took to Twitter, declaring, “A nation that stands for human and civil rights cannot align itself with the so-called ‘great’ democracies of China, Russia, and Iran.”
The riots, which spanned across cities from Paris to Roubaix in the north and Marseille in the south, as well as Reims and Lyon, witnessed the burning of a dozen buses and the smashing of store windows along the Rue de Rivoli. In a Paris suburb, Drancy, a shopping mall was set ablaze, while in Marseille, the country’s largest library was ravaged by fire. Furthermore, the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Seine-Saint-Denis also fell victim to the flames.
To combat the unrest, France deployed 45,000 police officers, yet this did not prevent the mobs from setting over 800 fires throughout Saturday night, as reported by the BBC. As a result of the riots, French businesses are estimated to have suffered losses exceeding $1 billion.
Approximately 3,500 individuals have been apprehended following the shooting of teenager Nahel Merzouk. According to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache, French law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Merzouk, who failed to comply and ran a red light. After catching up to the vehicle, which was subsequently trapped in traffic, the police instructed Merzouk to exit the car. As the vehicle attempted to flee, an officer shot the teenager, explained Prache.