Saturday, on the occasion of an official ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the massacre of Algerians on October 17, 1961 in Paris, Emmanuel Macron denounced "inexcusable crimes for the Republic".
“
France looks at its entire history with lucidity and recognizes the clearly established responsibilities.
It owes it first and foremost to itself, to all those whom the Algerian war and its procession of crimes committed on all sides have bruised in their flesh and in their soul
”, explains a press release. of the Élysée.
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While in 2012, François Hollande admitted “
a bloody repression
”, the Head of State therefore went even further by participating in the national tribute paid on the banks of the Seine, at the level of the Bezons bridge, borrowed 60 years ago by Algerian demonstrators who arrived from the neighboring slum of Nanterre at the appeal of the branch of the FLN installed in France.
Macron does not go far enough according to the left
A presence and words that have largely made the political class react. On the left, we hoped that the President of the Republic would go further. In a column published on Saturday in the
JDD
, Alexis Corbière called for example Emmanuel Macron to "
recognize the massacre of Algerians for what it was: a state crime
". “
Our country is going through a moment of turmoil when the most odious revisionism is raising its head, to minimize or deny the crimes of Vichy or those of colonialism. What better way to nip these divisive seeds in the bud than to open the road to justice and reparation for the victims of October 17, 1961?
“Asks the deputy of France Insoumise.
Read also October 17, 1961: Algiers calls for an approach "far from the predominance of colonialist thought"
A remark shared by Senator EELV Esther Benbassa.
In a tweet published Saturday after the commemoration, it considers that the statements of the President of the Republic are "
a step forward
" but remain "
insufficient to repair the injured memories
".
“
It's time to recognize October 17 as a state crime
,” she said.
"
Criminalizing our history is a mistake
"
On the other side of the political spectrum, it is believed that Emmanuel Macron is doing too much. “
While Algeria insults us every day, Emmanuel Macron continues to belittle our country. These repetitions of repentance are becoming unbearable and threatening the image of France,
”tackles Marine Le Pen for example on Twitter. Same reproach of the deputy LR Michèle Tabarot, who considers that "
our country does not have to submit to the memorial injunctions of the Algerian regime which multiplies the anti-France provocations
". “
Criminalizing our history is a mistake. One-sided repentance too,
”she scolds.
The president of Debout la France, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, went in the same direction.
“
Algeria spits on France and Emmanuel Macron does penance.
The head of state must inspire pride and not the shame of being French.
Otherwise, how can we be surprised that immigrant populations do not wish to assimilate?
“, He blurted out on Twitter.
For his part, Eric Zemmour also reacted, at the microphone of BFMTV.
He recalled that the demonstration of October 17, 1961 was prohibited before adding: “
There were attacks by the police (...).
There weren't the hundreds of deaths we talked about.
"
Part of the right wants Macron to commemorate the '
Oran massacre
'
Some right-wing figures have also insisted that certain other events are not commemorated or even mentioned by the President of the Republic.
The deputy of the Alpes Maritimes Éric Ciotti for example denounced "
the anti-French victim propaganda of President Macron
", which he considers "
indecent
".
"
We are still awaiting the commemoration by the president of the Oran massacre of July 5, 1962 when the FLN massacred several hundred black feet and harkis loyal to France,
" he attacked.
Read also July 5, 1962 in Oran: the forgotten massacre of hundreds of Europeans in Algeria
Same reproach of Senator LR of Bouches-du-Rhône Valérie Boyer who invites Emmanuel Macron to "
go further on the missing, the recognition of the massacres
of the rue d'Isly
and d'Oran, the maintenance of French cemeteries in Algeria ...
”.
“
The duty to remember must prevail, but contempt for our History and this permanent one-sided repentance are unworthy.
(...) To look at objective facts is to look at the whole of history.
Including, therefore, the crimes committed by the FLN against the French in Algeria,
”she concludes, in a letter addressed to Emmanuel Macron and posted on Twitter.
