According to French President Emmanuel Macron video games as well as social media have been a key factor as to why riots have spread across France, in the wake of the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old delivery driver.
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The teenager was shot on Tuesday 27th of June during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre according to the Associated Press (AP). The teenager, who is currently only being identified by his first name Nahel, died at the scene, with the incident triggering a nationwide riot on the day that led to 150 people being arrested.
The unfortunate incident has only increased the rising tensions between French police and the public. Videos have been shared online over the last few days showing police firing tear gas at crowds, protestors lighting cars on fire and looting.
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As of Friday, according to AP, there have been 875 arrests made in connection to the riots with Macron refusing to declare a state of emergency and instead sending 40,000 more officers to deal with the continuing protests. Within those 875 arrests, it is also stated that a third of the individuals detained for one of these days were “young people”.
According to Macron Video Games Are Apparently to Blame
Social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat are being blamed by Macron for the increasing amount of younger people involved in the riots. This is due to individuals posting rally cries to continue the protests online. However, the French President has also pursued another target laying the blame on video games as well. He stated that:
“We sometimes have the feeling that some of them are living out, in the streets, the video games that have intoxicated them.”
Macron’s words are baffling as he seems to be treating this as an isolated incident brought on by Nahel’s death and not a pre-existing problem. Issues of racially motivated police brutality, are not something new in France. The systemic issue is not helped by increased housing and income inequality or the fact that the race policy in the country is just to “be colourblind”. This policy applies here as Nahel was an Arab teenager.
Protests surrounding police brutality are not new in France. Some recent examples include demonstrations erupting all across the country in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd and in 2005, riots that broke out after two young boys died while running away from police.
Macron is also not the first political figure to blame video games for issues that clearly have another systemic and political route cause. The Grand Theft Auto series has continued to draw the ire of politicians across the globe with many blaming the games for increased violence among young people. One recent example of this in particular comes from Chicago, Illinois State Representative Marcus C Evans Jr who proposed a ban on the sale of violent video games in 2022, in connection to a carjacking.
Although there have been several studies that indicate there is little to no link between “violent” video games and real-life violent crimes it appears to be a point that politicians love to labour on about.
Regarding Macron’s comments in relation to the current protests, it is very telling that as France edges closer to its breaking point Macron himself went to an Elton John Concert.
Macron blames social media and video games “intoxicating” the youth and fueling the riots.
The French President is demanding that social media companies take down videos and photos of the ongoing riots.
As France burned for the third night, Macron went to an Elton John concert. pic.twitter.com/tmyr2ulz4P
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 30, 2023
Source: Associated Press
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