|
|
Raciacist attitudes
in the populace and the police are rife.
A survey on French
attitudes to race, commissioned by the French government and
published in June 1998, resulted in 38 percent of the population
declaring themselves racist, double the figures for similar surveys
in Britain and Germany, and the Front National , a
neo-fascist, racist party, headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, won
fifteen percent of the vote in the last parliamentary elections.
Support for the party was highest in Provence and the Cote d'Azur,
where by 1997 four cities had Front National mayors. The Front
National's alliance with conservatives has led to changes in
educational, cultural and sporting and programs to suit its
policies; the party's fundamental priority is the withdrawal of benefits
to immigrants who have not yet been granted French citizenship.
However, the mood in France altered after the 1998 World Cup victory of
its multicultural team and Le Pen was forced to modify some of his
racist statements. Since then the party has fractured and lost
popularity (with it and the splinter group rated at about nine percent),
so the next round of elections may change the current unpleasant state
of affairs.
|
It
will take a long time for the warm glow created by the World Cup to
transform France into a racially tolerant country, and for the moment
being black, particularly if you are Arab or look as if you might be,
makes your chances of avoiding unpleasantness very low. Hotels claiming
to be booked up, police demanding your papers and abuse from ordinary
people is horribly frequent.
In
addition, even entering the country can be difficult. Changes in
passport regulations have put an end to outright refusal to let some
British holiday-makers in, but customs and immigration officers can
still be obstructive and malicious. In North African-dominated areas of
cities, identity checks by the police are very common and not pleasant.
The
clampdown on illegal immigration (and much tougher laws) has resulted in
a significant increase in police stop-and-search operations. Carrying
your passport at all times is a good idea.
If
you suffer a racial assault , you're likely to get a much more
sympathetic hearing from your consulate than from the police. There are
many anti-racism organizations which will offer support (though they may
not have English-speakers): Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l'Amitié
entre les Peuples (MRAP) and SOS Racism have offices in most big cities.
|
France
guide
France
When to go and where
Getting
there
Airfares
Red tapes & visas
French embassies
overseas
Customs
Costs, money,
banks
Transport
Museum reduced
admission
Changing money
Travelers' checks
Health and
insurance
Disable visitors
The people
Getting around
Trains
Buses
Flying, ferries
Driving
Hitching
Bicycles
Boating
Eating and
drinking
Breakfast,
cheese, crepes
Regional cuisine
Wine & other drinks
Communications & media
Music, theatre
Buying tickets, dance, mime
Trouble and the police
Racism,
illegal immigration
Theft, loss
credit card
Gay & lesbian
Gay,
lesbian contacts, info
Work and study
Studying in France
Cinema
Language, pronunciation
Tourist offices, maps, info
Best of France
Public holidays
Festivals
Festival Calendar
Sports,
outdoor activities
Directory |
Art
Mannerism
and Italian
influence
The Seventeenth Century
The
Early Eighteenth Century
Neoclassicism
Romanticism
The
Nineteenth Century
Impressionism
Camille Pissarro
Auguste Renoir
Edgar
Degas
Toulouse-Lautrec
Post-Impressionism
The
Twentieth Century
Dada,
Dali
History
Early Civilizations
Pre-Roman Gaul
Romanization
The
Franks and Charlemagne
The
rise of the French Kings
The
Hundred Years War
The Wars
of Religions
Kings, Cardinals and Absolute Power
Louis XV and
the Parlements
Revolution
The Rise
of
Napoléon
The Restoration and 1830 Revolution
The Second
Republic
Napoleon and the Commune
The Third
Republic
World War I
World War II
The
Aftermath of War
De Gaulle
Presidency
Pompidou and Giscard
The
Mitterand Era 1981-95
Chirac's
Presidency
Municipal
elections
France
Brief History
Google maps |
