France faces criticism over police conduct and far-right activity

Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux and the organization ATTAC have raised alarms regarding social unrest and police conduct in France. Ernaux expressed deep concern over what she described as a “aging country” that prioritizes the wealthy over its youth and social movements. She criticized the government’s response to student mobilizations and the “Gilets Jaunes,” alleging that police forces have been widely infiltrated by individuals with far-right, Rassemblement National sympathies.

Simultaneously, ATTAC issued an open letter to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez following reports of attacks by far-right militias in at least sixteen French cities on October 24, including Nice, Lyon, and Montpellier. The organization alleges police complicity or passivity during these incidents, where protesters were reportedly attacked while law enforcement failed to intervene. ATTAC is demanding accountability and an end to impunity ahead of upcoming mobilizations scheduled for late October and early November.