The charred skeletons of cars and buses lay scattered among the
burned-out buildings and broken glass of the urban outskirts of
Paris. Young rebels open fire on police and attack commuter trains
with rocks and guns.
This eerie scene seems reminiscent of some Hollywood movie, but
photographs on the front pages of newspapers around the world
remind us it is all too real. These riots started on Oct. 27 and
the violence continues to be a problem.
But why are there riots at all? I’m not even sure that
many involved in the riots could answer that question, but to me
this situation seems all too familiar. People will rebel in the
face of inequality ““ this is simply a part of society’s
checks and balances and an unavoidable occurrence.
To students here at UCLA, riots in France seem to be of little
consequence. We have midterms to study for and social gatherings to
attend, so why should we care about something so far removed?
The simple answer is to say that we should care because we are
compassionate, socially conscious individuals. We should care about
the struggles of our fellow man, and we should care about global
issues, but this catch-all answer doesn’t always do the
trick.
A better answer might be to say that we need to understand the
nature of this situation to realize it could very well happen in
our own back yard. Historically, subordinate cultures will
eventually rise up against dominant cultures, seeking equality or
revenge. This is a natural part of societal flux ““ France is
no different.
In the early 1900s, the French began to settle Algeria, and
other parts of Northern Africa which the French government had
seized. The Muslim Algerians who originally inhabited that land,
weren’t considered French citizens and couldn’t vote,
causing much civil unrest. In 1945, guerilla forces in Algeria
launched attacks against military installations in an attempt to
restore Algerian sovereignty. Many pro-French Algerians fled to
France at this time, and took refuge in housing projects set up in
the outskirts of Paris.
The recent disturbances in France have occurred in these
suburbs. These people and their families have been marginalized for
years, living in poverty-stricken housing projects full of
unemployment and violent youth gangs.
Many of the residents of these suburbs feel that their North
African culture and their skin color sets them up for
discrimination. Whether or not the French are guilty of
discrimination or oppression, the rebellion has taken place because
of historic struggles between the two social classes. Whenever
there is a gap between socio-economic groups, there is bound be
some animosity between them, regardless of racial issues.
When it comes to racial politics, the French tend to downplay
the differences between races. The idea is that if you don’t
draw attention to these differences, there won’t be any
problems.
While I believe that we shouldn’t dwell on differences, it
is extremely important to recognize cultural idiosyncrasies. If you
ignore cultural differences, including economic gaps, you run the
risk of setting yourself up for violence and riots, just like those
occurring in France.
I can’t say that these types of riots are completely
avoidable; in fact I believe that in some ways, they may be
necessary. Many problems can be avoided by looking back at
situations like this to avoid similar situations in our future.
Many participated in the demonstrations against President Bush,
by marching across Wilshire Boulevard, chanting together and
carrying picket signs. These protests, though non-violent, are
happening for the same reasons as the French riots ““ people
just want to be heard. These are groups of people who feel
overlooked. They are really just trying to get a point across and
create change.
We live in a dynamic world in which these types of clashes are
inevitable, so let us embrace the marginalized and listen to what
they have to say so we can avoid any unnecessary violence.
So, all you picketers, strikers, and rioters, if you want to be
heard, I urge you to listen to your fellow dissenters ““ they
usually have a good message, and just want to be heard.
Have you been part of a riot? Let Deitchman know at
jdeitchman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.