It reached a low point in October 1961, when riot control squads massacred up to 300 Algerian protesters in cold blood during a peaceful anti-war demonstration.
Such crimes were covered up for decades, and in keeping with the way Paris traditionally treats its Algerians, nobody has ever been brought to justice for them.febrile atmosphereThe Fifth Republic itself was created in 1958 as an emergency response to the Algerian conflict, when France was on the verge of civil war.
Its designated presidential election candidate, Marine Le Pen, has come runner-up to Emmanuel Macron in the last two elections. She still feels sure she can become head of state on an anti-immigrant manifesto, bolstered by a commitment to hardline law and order policies. This means supporting the police at every opportunity, even when their excesses are seemingly indefensible. After the shooting, Le Pen said the officer in question was entitled to the “presumption of innocence”.
This is traditionally the knee-jerk reaction of all French authority figures as they face up to Algerian-linked discontent, especially in towns such as Nanterre.