French National Assembly Approves Resolution Condemning 1961 Algerian Massacre

The resolution, which calls for a national day of remembrance, marks a significant step in France's acknowledgment of the police brutality that occurred during the Algerian independence protests.

• The French National Assembly voted 67-11 in favor of a nonbinding resolution condemning the 1961 police crackdown on Algerian protesters.
• About 12,000 Algerians were arrested, and historians estimate at least 120 protesters died, their bodies thrown into the Seine River.
• The resolution was initiated by Green MP Sabrina Sebaihi and Renaissance party MP Julie Delpech, with input from the Elysée Palace.
• President Emmanuel Macron previously acknowledged the massacre as 'inexcusable', marking a shift in France's recognition of its colonial past.
• There is debate about establishing a national day of remembrance, with some officials suggesting that history should be allowed to 'do the work' before such a decision is made.

5 Articles

Fox News Associated Press San Francisco Chronicle RFI Le Monde