1961 Algerians’ Massacre: French Parliament Move to Commemorate Victims

The French National Assembly passed a resolution on Thursday, condemning the atrocities committed against Algerian protesters in Paris in 1961 as “bloody and murderous repression.” The resolution, which received a vote of 67-11, also called for the establishment of a national day of remembrance to honor the victims of the massacre who lost their lives in the pursuit of justice and freedom.

This resolution also reaffirms France’s commitment to acknowledging its historical injustices meted out against the Algerian protesters.

The events of October 17, 1961, were a dark chapter in French history as thousands of Algerians who took to the streets of Paris in a protest organized by the French branch of the National Liberation Front (FLN) to peacefully protest against discriminatory policies imposed by the authorities were brutally dealt with.

Historians estimate that at least dozens of protesters were killed during the violent crackdown by the police, which remains one of the deadliest incidents of police violence in Western Europe since World War II. Many of the victims were shot, while others were brutally beaten, and their bodies were thrown into the Seine River.

The resolution brought attention to the role Maurice Papon, the then police director, played in contributing to the 1961 tragic events, where innocent civilians, including women and children, fell victim to indiscriminate violence.

Despite efforts by authorities to cover up the massacre for decades, recent acknowledgments by President Emmanuel Macron in 2021 on the 60th anniversary of the massacre and the passing of this resolution by the French Parliament signaled a step towards recognizing and commemorating the victims of the 1961 Paris massacre.