French mayors demand recognition of 1961 Algerian massacre as state crime

Approximately thirty mayors, primarily from the Île-de-France region, have signed a joint declaration calling for the official recognition of the October 17, 1961, massacre as a ‘crime d’État’ (state crime). The signatories are demanding greater access to archives related to the Algerian War and the repression of the event, while also requesting that the date be added to the official calendar of national days.

The massacre occurred during the Algerian War when an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Algerians staged a peaceful demonstration in Paris against a curfew imposed by the police prefecture. Under the direction of then-police chief Maurice Papon, French forces responded with violent repression. While the French government acknowledged 40 deaths in 1998, historians and various sources suggest the actual death toll may exceed 200, with many victims thrown into the Seine.

Mathilde Panot has also joined calls for the recognition of these massacres, emphasizing the need to face historical truths regarding the responsibility of public authorities in the conduct of the repression.