World Weekly | Breaking European Average Temperature | Riots | Europe
This week's weather can be described as "hot", and research data shows that the global average temperature has been at historical highs for several consecutive days. Under the heat wave, not many people are likely willing to engage in outdoor activities, which may be one of the reasons why the ongoing street riots in France have rapidly cooled down this week. But no matter what, a broken Europe has become a fact that many Europeans have no choice but to accept.
According to Reuters, on July 4th, French President Macron held a three and a half hour closed door meeting with the mayors of 302 French cities affected by the riots at the É lys é e Palace.
Macron said that although the peak period of unrest has passed, France will still face tests on July 13th or 14th, which is the eve and day of France's National Day, and even in the coming months.
In Nantel, the hometown of 17-year-old Nahler, who was shot by the police, Mayor Gerard condemned the disorderly state of the past week.
Nantel Mayor Gerard: The consecutive nights of violence after Nahler's death are unacceptable.
On July 3rd, in the southern suburbs of Paris, in the town of Lailleros, the public also expressed support for restoring order. On the early morning of July 2nd, protesters drove into Mayor Jean Braun's house and set fire to his residence. Mayor Jean Braun's wife and children were injured while fleeing and taken to the hospital.
Mayor Lailleros asked Bren: Democracy is under attack before our eyes, and all symbols of democracy are under attack. The city hall was attacked, elected officials were attacked, teachers were attacked, and police and rescue service departments were attacked.
On July 4th, the French Ministry of Justice announced that according to preliminary statistics, during the riot that lasted for about a week, about 5900 cars were set on fire, about 1100 buildings were set on fire or damaged, more than 300 bank branches were burned down, and 270 attacks on police stations were recorded, resulting in a total loss of over 1 billion euros.
After the doors of shops such as Apple and Nike in Paris were smashed open, they faced "free movement" and "zero purchase".
In Marseille, the second largest city in France, new cars from local 4S stores were driven away by protesters. Among thousands of looted shops, including some gun shops, dozens of hunting guns have disappeared without a trace. The century old Marseille Library was also set on fire during the riots.
Sky TV French police said that among the 3625 people arrested on suspicion of illegal activities, about one-third were minors, and many of the participants in the riots were only thirteen or fourteen years old.
Frank, the owner of the Marseille shop: While Nahler's death is sad, it is just an excuse for some people to carry out shop robberies.
As the riots in France escalated, Nahler's family also called for a return to order.
Nahler's grandmother: I urge them to stop. The mothers are taking the bus, and the mothers are walking on the street. People should calm down.
According to the BBC, the incident occurred on June 27th. A 17-year-old Algerian French young man named Nahler drove into a bus lane in the Nantes area of the suburbs of Paris, and two French police officers flashed their warning lights to stop him. Nahler did not stop at the time, continued driving and passed a red light.
Witnesses reported that when Nahler's car stopped, two police officers threatened him during the law enforcement process.
Nahler, who was unwilling to cooperate, chose to drive away forcibly. During this process, a police officer fired at Nahler.
According to Agence France Presse, before the shooting incident, Nahr was recorded by the police for dangerous driving and refusing to undergo road inspections.
The police officer who fired the gun has been charged with intentional homicide by the prosecution.
French Ministry of the Interior Dammamin: From the video, it appears that his actions do not meet law enforcement standards and laws.
According to reports, 17-year-old Nahler was raised alone by his mother from Algeria.
Nahler likes to play football and supports his family by delivering takeout. Nahr's home is located in a gathering place of North African immigrants about 11 kilometers from the center of Paris. In fact, about 38% of immigrants in France reside in the suburbs of Paris.
On July 1st, Nahle's body was buried in a mosque in Nantair. But conflicts between protesters and police continue to unfold throughout France.
Nahler's family: young North Africans, black people, or Arabs living in the suburbs, but they are not pleasing to some French police officers.
The BBC pointed out that the death of Nahler has uncovered France's long-standing scars.
Alexandre Dumas, born in Haiti to a black slave mother, provided a detailed description of Marseille in The Count of Monte Cristo.
After World War II, France introduced labor from former colonies such as North Africa on a large scale. The densely constructed affordable residential areas in the suburbs of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille have planted around 5 million ethnic minorities.
Afterwards, France experienced a glorious thirty years of rapid economic development.
French thinkers Voltaire and Tocqueville both studied the "national character" of the French.
The combination of traditional French romance and African blood not only brings vitality to French society, but also inevitably brings restlessness.
Time magazine pointed out that when the economy and society develop rapidly, various problems can be masked. But with the "deindustrialization" of Europe in the 1980s, immigrants began to enter the service industry that emphasizes "people to people interaction" from factories, and various contradictions gradually emerged.
In the 21st century, the aging population in France has become increasingly severe, and there are more and more people in need of care and attention. In the view of scholar Maggie from Newcastle University in the UK, France's demand for foreign labor has shifted from a focus on manual labor over social welfare to a greater need for light manual workers with good communication skills and providing social benefits such as pensions.
The upgrading of labor demand leads to a higher probability of cultural conflicts between individuals.
As the Figaro newspaper puts it, "The immigrant army has begun to clash with traditional French society."
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, France was once referred to by domestic media as the "most African like European country". Up to two-thirds of African American and Arab American players.
The VOX News website in the United States pointed out that the "new tricolor flag" composed of different skin colors reflects the "immigration strategy" of French football.
But this has caused dissatisfaction among French far right politicians.
Jean Marie Le Pen, founder of the French far right political party, the National Front: I think this is fraud, allowing foreigners to come to France, baptize them, and represent France in competitions. I have noticed that players from other countries are much more sincere when singing the national anthem than our players. In fact, most of the French team's players have not even started singing, perhaps they don't know what the lyrics are.
On June 30th, Qatar World Cup Golden Boot winner and French football star Mbappe released a joint statement from the French national team on social media. "Many French players themselves come from working-class, relatively impoverished communities and can understand the pain and sadness, but violence cannot solve the problem."
Mbappe, born in 1998, has a father from Cameroon who used to be a football player. My mother comes from Algeria and is a handball player. Mbappe's idol Cristiano Ronaldo has one eighth of African ancestry. And his larger idol Zidane, whose parents come from Algeria.
Mbappe grew up in the Bondi district of the northern suburbs of Paris, known as the "immigrant slum", and in his own words, he was the "second generation" who played football in heavy rain. Despite having 72 million followers on social media, he often faces online violence from Europe due to his skin color.
The Sports Illustrated in the United States commented, "When Mbappe wins, he is French. If he loses the game, he is a different kind of person."
Just as rumors kept circulating about whether Mbappe would leave Paris Saint Germain, French President Macron once encouraged Mbappe, "I know you want to leave Paris, but you have the opportunity to change history here."
According to data from the French Ministry of the Interior, in 2020, only one-third of immigrants in France owned their own homes, with the vast majority located in impoverished communities, while the proportion of French locals owning housing was over 60%. In 2021, the unemployment rate among immigrants was more than three times that of the rest of France.
These all provide soil for social unrest.
On June 30th, when the riots reached their peak, French President Macron stated that uncontrolled social media was the catalyst for this round of riots.
French President Macron: We are taking several measures to first contact these platforms, remove the most sensitive content, and national departments will organize these platforms to obtain effective responses. I expect these social media platforms to have a sense of responsibility.
According to France 24 News, after the riots began, social media platforms operated by the United States were flooded with violent crime videos such as arson and robbery, further stimulating the emotions of some French people.
French protester: Yes, yes, the protest was organized on Snapchat and Twitter. All young men like me are guided by these videos, which is a very important cause of the protest activities.
France's 24th News Channel reporter Sig: For example, there is a very popular feature on Snapchat - Snap Map, which is an interactive map where you can see real-time locations of destruction and police battles. I think a very important aspect of this round of riots is that they have become networked and live streamed on social media platforms, which is a characteristic we did not see in the riots of 2005.
The French police pointed out that under the catalysis of social media, the targeting of attacks is clear, such as city halls, police stations, libraries, schools, bus stops, etc.
In addition, in France, where firearms are strictly prohibited, professional weapons such as automatic rifles, shotguns, and explosives have appeared multiple times at the scene of the riots. Even protesters used rockets to attack French police stations.
Many netizens have expressed that this seems to make people smell the scent of the CIA.
"Who is supplying weapons to these people? You can't buy RPG rockets at the local Wal Mart."
Provoking racial opposition and inciting violence are the goals portrayed by mainstream American media.
Sky TV anchor Bolt: Mainstream American media claims that the problem stems from white society, where white people create problems in France. It is obvious that this is not the problem of the protesters, even though these people are setting fire, robbing, shooting, and destroying.
At present, the French police are investigating the identities of individuals who posted rally attacks on social media and investigating whether there are foreign masterminds behind the riots.
On July 4th, French government spokesperson Verano stated that cross party lawmakers are discussing a bill to strengthen social media regulation.
However, the French government's actions to regulate social media suspected of illegal activities immediately drew criticism from mainstream American media.
According to Politician News, France is promoting "authoritarianism". The Washington Post claimed that Macron used "power to suppress democracy.".
Ironically, since Biden took office, federal law enforcement agencies have been regulating social media used domestically in the United States.
It is worth noting that after the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, 2021, Trump was permanently banned on Twitter, and the New York Times stated at the time that "removing certain accounts and apps from their own platforms can achieve protection for public safety."
This contrasts with the actions of the United States when inciting the "color revolution" in other countries.
In the view of The Guardian, the underlying reasons behind the chaos in France may indeed be closely related to the United States.
On April 9th, Macron told Politician News Network that "Europe must withstand pressure and prevent becoming a follower of the United States.".
French President Macron: European sovereignty is not just a concept or fantasy, it is absolutely necessary in a dangerous world.
On July 1st, the É lys é e Palace in France announced that Macron had to postpone his visit to Germany due to the domestic crisis.
According to The Opinion, Macron had originally planned to visit Germany this week, marking his first state visit to Germany since Schultz became Chancellor. One of the main purposes of the visit is to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Elysee between France and Germany. This treaty is seen as a symbol of comprehensive reconciliation between France and Germany after World War II, laying the foundation for the establishment of the "Franco German Axis" of European integration.
Last month, French President Macron proposed to South African President Ramaphosa that France hopes to participate in the BRICS summit. If successful, Macron will become the first Western leader to attend a BRICS summit.
According to Agence France Presse, France is closely concerned about the common currency issue that the BRICS countries may discuss at this summit, and France is currently the only European country to propose reducing its dependence on the US dollar.
In fact, it was France that fired the first shot of "de dollarization" in history.
Former French President Charles de Gaulle: The United States enjoys the privileges created by the US dollar, printing US dollars recklessly and continuously lending to other countries in order to plunder the resources of other countries.
De Gaulle's high-profile proposal is to return to the gold standard. At that time, the US gold reserves only accounted for 30% of the world's total, equivalent to only half of the amount at the end of World War II.
Since then, France's foreign exchange reserves have been exchanged back for gold from the US dollar. Unfortunately, three years later, the "68 Revolution" in France interrupted Charles de Gaulle's dream of ending the "old era of the US dollar" by reforming the international payment system.
In 1973, the oil crisis broke out, and the West could no longer enjoy cheap energy, leading to a slowdown in European economic growth. With the disintegration of the Bretton Woods system, the US dollar began to forcefully bind to oil after decoupling from gold. Thus, oil becomes the "black gold" that replaces gold. In order to consolidate the hegemonic position of the US dollar, the United States has repeatedly created geopolitical crises to suppress other currencies.
According to Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po, a bloody knife stabbing case occurred at Hollywood Square in Diamond Hill last Friday. The police arrested a 39 year old man on suspicion of stabbing two young women, one of whom was stabbed over 30 times. The suspect appeared in the Kwun Tong Magistrates Court this morning. The police at the Kwun Tong Magistrate's Court temporarily charged the suspect with two counts of murder last Sunday. The suspect appeared in court this morning at the Kwun Tong Magistrate's Court. Acting Chief Magistrate Zheng Jihang, after listening to the opinions of both the prosecution and defense, decided to postpone the hearing for two weeks until 9:30 am on June 19th, waiting for two psychiatric expert reports to be obtained. The defense did not object. Zheng Jihang approved the application, and the defendant needs to be temporarily detained at Xiaolan Mental Hospital. When the suspect appeared in court, he wore black framed glasses, a light gray shirt, and camouflage green shorts, and was able to answer the judge's questions normally. accordingly
Currently, the highly anticipated summer harvest work in Henan has shifted its focus to the northern region of Henan. According to the Henan Daily client, on June 4th, Lou Yangsheng, Secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee, presided over a special video scheduling meeting on the "Three Summers" work in the province, listened to the situation report, analyzed and judged the situation, and arranged and deployed the next steps of work. Governor Wang Kai made specific arrangements. On the evening of May 31, 2023, in Xiafutou Village, Xuliang Town, Boai County, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, villagers braved light rain in the wheat fields to harvest wheat. Visual China Map Lou Yangsheng pointed out that the current summer harvest battle in the province has entered the decisive stage. Doing a good job in summer harvest in northern Henan Province is related to the summer grain yield and seed safety. We should focus on seizing opportunities and make every effort to organize the wheat harvesting work in the northern Henan region, minimize losses, and protect the interests of farmers to the greatest extent possible. Accurate forecasting is essential
On June 4th, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site. Astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu all safely and smoothly exited the spacecraft, and the Shenzhou-15 manned flight mission was a complete success. What innovative technologies are there to safeguard the return journey of Shenzhou 15 in this mission? On June 4th, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site. Xinhua News Agency reporter Lian Zhen photographed that "the sky and the ground" ensure the high-precision return of spacecraft. For the Shenzhou series spacecraft, the return and re-entry GNC technology is directly related to the life safety of astronauts. Taking the success of this return mission as a symbol, China has comprehensively upgraded its GNC system since the Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft, which features autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking, autonomous adaptive prediction and re-entry return guidance, and has completed a comprehensive update and replacement
At noon today, a Chinese naval fleet consisting of Zhanjiang and Xuchang ships arrived at the assembly area of the "Comodo-2023" multinational maritime joint exercise. It is understood that the assembly anchorage for this exercise is 3 nautical miles long and 1.5 nautical miles wide, capable of anchoring up to 50 ships. Naval vessels from various countries participating in the exercise will also arrive at the anchorage today to complete the assembly of the "Komodo 2023" multinational maritime joint exercise, which is held every two years by the Indonesian Navy. This year is already the fourth edition of the exercise. The exercise will be held from June 5th to 8th in the city of Jakarta, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, including the port and sea phases. In the coming days, participating navies from various countries will participate in ship reading style search and rescue exercises, maritime interception and damage management exercises, aerial exercises, and other course objectives exercises
On the evening of June 1st, the US Senate passed a bill on the federal government's debt ceiling and budget, and the flame of the US debt bomb was temporarily extinguished at the last moment. The two parties in the United States have staged an extreme tug of war over the US debt bomb. Some experts believe that the US debt crisis is the result of the reckless politics promoted by the US dollar hegemony, and the underlying cause of this crisis is the highly polarized political system of the US. Since the end of World War II, the US Congress has adjusted the debt ceiling more than a hundred times. The recurring debt crisis will not only have a catastrophic impact on the US economy and people's livelihoods, but also continuously erode the value of US dollar assets such as government credit and US bonds, bringing significant and far-reaching impacts to the global economic landscape. 【