French Legislative Representatives honor the Algeria Massacres of May 8, 1945
Revamped Report:
Left-Wing French Deputies Demand Recognition of 1945 Algeria Massacres
Over the weekend, a group of French left-wing deputies made a poignant journey to Setif, Algeria, to honor the victims of the bloody repression during the independence demonstrations of May 8, 1945.
"We are a group of elected officials who put in substantial effort on commemorating issues and acknowledging the massacres of May 8, 1945," declared Sabrina Sebaihi, a member of the Ecologist and Social group. "We have urged President Macron to acknowledge these events as state crimes."
Sebaihi laid a wreath at the memorial of Saâd Bouzid, the first victim of these peaceful demonstrations, killed by French police as he waved the Algerian flag. "It's truly emotional," she testified. Alongside her, Danielle Simonnet, another deputy from the same group, echoed the sentiment: "It's high time for France to admit its wrongdoings."
On May 8, 1945, as France celebrated its victory over Nazism, independence demonstrations took place in Setif, Guelma, and Kherrata, where nationalists marched. They were swiftly suppressed by colonial forces, leading to an estimated 45,000 casualties, according to Algerians, while French sources report between 1,500 and 20,000 deaths1. For Algerian deputy Toufik Khadim, "France should acknowledge its criminal acts and accept responsibility for these massacres."
Thousands of locals gathered to watch Sebaihi and her fellow deputies lay the wreath. Along the street where Bouzid fell, the Algerian emblem was everywhere, and patriotic songs played over loudspeakers.
A few days earlier, thousands of Algerians marched in Setif, demanding France acknowledge its crimes in Algeria. "Dialogue is our only means forward on these issues," Sebaihi said[2].
Tensions between Algiers and Paris have been running high over various subjects, including the expulsion of unwanted Algerians from France and the detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal since November3.
[2]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/french-lawmakers-place- wreath-at-memorial-to-1945-setif-massacre-victims-2022-05-09/
[4]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/21/algeria-and-france-relations-at-a-tense-juncture- a-disillusioned-yr
- French left-wing deputies, such as Sabrina Sebaihi, have urged President Macron to acknowledge the 1945 Algeria massacres as state crimes, which are tied to the broader narrative of war-and-conflicts and politics.
- In a poignant move, Sebaihi laid a wreath at the memorial of Saâd Bouzid, a symbol of Algerian resistance during the 1945 repression, a tragic event that has been a topic of general-news and debate.
- The Algerian flowers of the Algerian emblem were everywhere in Setif, symbolizing the resilience of the Algerian people during periods of repression.
- The tension between Algiers and Paris has escalated over various issues, including the expulsion of unwanted Algerians from France and the detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which can be associated with the broader context of war-and-conflicts and politics.
