For some, it might take an X post from Soulja Boy for them to get tuned into what’s going on in France, but so be it.
As you may have seen, the “Crank That” artist, who is apparently eyeing a vaguely Ye-esque push for public office, took to the platform formerly known as Twitter on Sunday (Oct. 18) to dub the widespread protests in the country “a wake-up call to the entire world.”
While the last thing we need is another celebrity attempting to leverage their fame for political office, Soulja’s remarks were well-timed, and admittedly underscore the potential broader implications of what’s going on in France.
To that end, what is going on? Below, we take a closer look.
Who is protesting in France, and why?
Central to the protests in France are frustrations over conditions students are facing in the country’s education system. Students first began protesting in September of this year, with the larger aim having since dovetailed with other pressing issues like living costs and fuel prices.
To be clear, students are no longer the only ones protesting, as their efforts have been joined by others in the region in recent days.
Where in France are the protests taking place?
First up was a demonstration at a high school in Créteil, a suburb of Paris, in September. In roughly a week’s time, the number of protests in schools across
the country was in the hundreds. The protests have continued to grow in the weeks since to include Lyon, Marseille, Limoges, and elsewhere.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters are estimated to have taken part in the efforts. There have been numerous arrests, as well as damage to buildings.
What has the reaction been?
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, said there was “no room for violence in our Republic” in a statement shared on Saturday (Oct. 17).
“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” Macron said. “To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation. We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so.”
Macron later added that “citizens who demonstrated to voice legitimate demands” should not be conflated with “those who destroyed, looted, and vandalized.”
Several human rights-focused organizations have criticized the police response to the protests. Amnesty International, for example, argued that actions of law enforcement have been “disproportionate” in the region.
“Footage and testimonies widely reported over the last week raise alarming concerns about the dangerous use of tear gas, batons, and restraint techniques by police,” Anne Savinel-Barras, President of Amnesty International France, said in a statement issued on Oct. 5. “Tear gas grenades have been discharged recklessly, and rubber bullets have been fired causing serious injuries.”
Amid the competing narratives, many in the U.S. have pointed to what’s going on in France as a sign of larger discontent worldwide, including, yes, Soulja Boy.
“What’s happening in France is a wake-up call to the entire world,” he recently wrote on X. “The cost of living keeps rising while everyday people struggle to survive. People are tired of working hard just to barely get by. Governments need to start listening to the people before frustration turns into chaos.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, born in France, has also shown support, pointing out earlier this month that he was in the same position as protesting students “not so long ago,” as has French actor Omar Sy.
