The French parliament’s lower house has passed a resolution condemning the killing of dozens of Algerians by Paris police during a protest in 1961 as bloody and murderous repression.
Recent years have seen France make efforts to reckon with its colonial past in Algeria. In 1961, Paris police cracked down on a peaceful protest by Algerians supporting independence, resulting in the deaths of numerous demonstrators. The extent of the massacre was concealed by French authorities for decades until President Emmanuel Macron denounced it as inexcusable in 2021.
The resolution highlighted that the crackdown occurred under the authority of police prefect Maurice Papon and called for the official commemoration of the massacre.
Proposed by Greens lawmaker Sabrina Sebaihi and ruling Renaissance party MP Julie Delpech, the bill received approval from 67 lawmakers, with 11 against. Sebaihi described the vote as the first step towards recognising “this colonial crime, the recognition of this state crime.”
However, the term “state crime” was not included in the resolution’s text, which was jointly drafted by Macron’s party and the Elysee Palace.
On the 60th anniversary of the bloodshed in 2021, Macron acknowledged that several dozen protesters had been killed, with their bodies thrown into the River Seine.
The exact number of victims remains unclear, with some activists fearing that several hundred may have been killed.
Minister for local and regional authorities Dominique Faure, while acknowledging past efforts to recognise the massacre, expressed reservations about establishing a special day for commemoration. She noted existing dates commemorating events during the Algerian war and stressed the importance of letting history take its course before considering a new day of remembrance specifically for the victims of October 17, 1961.
France has made various attempts to reconcile with Algeria over the years but has refused to apologise or repent for its 132 years of often brutal rule, which ended in 1962.