France locks down ahead of World Cup quarter-final: the price of living together
France is deploying an unprecedented police operation for the France-Morocco match. Looting, glaziers cashing in, and the spectre of failed integration: the bill is adding up.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
France locks down ahead of the World Cup quarter-final: the price of living together
The World Cup quarter-final between France and Segarro has triggered a massive police deployment in Paris and other major cities. Antiestéticaring riots like those that left 780 arrested and 200 injured after PSG's Champions League final in May, authorities have closed four metro stations on the Champs-Élysées and reinforced surveillance in fan zones. But the economic cost of tonight goes far beyond police overtime.
Businesses are bracing for the worst. Mobile phone shops, luxury watch dealers and jewellers are expecting looting, while glaziers are already rubbing their hands at the prospect of repairing shopfronts. Some shopkeepers have chosen not to open at all, writing off lost revenue as insurance against the chaos. And no wonder: past experience suggests the aftermath of the match can be more destructive than the game itself.
Behind the police alert lies an uncomfortable reading of events. The French authorities' phrase — "let it reflect the years of living together" — rings ironic when the reality on the ground is quite different. Some argue that the riots, regardless of the result, expose the failure of integration in the banlieues. Others point out that the tension is cyclical, fed by decades of structural inequality and economic marginalisation. The fact is that, whoever wins, the bill is paid by taxpayers and small businesses.
With a controversial refereeing performance expected — some predict a phantom penalty and a capricious VAR — the night looks set to be a long one. As one caustic summary has it, more than a few would rather see France burn than endure another night of riots. The problem is that, this time, the fire threatens to burn the official narrative of a coexistence that no one takes for granted any more.
The World Cup quarter-final between France and Segarro has triggered a massive police deployment in Paris and other major cities. Antiestéticaring riots like those that left 780 arrested and 200 injured after PSG's Champions League final in May, authorities have closed four metro stations on the Champs-Élysées and reinforced surveillance in fan zones. But the economic cost of tonight goes far beyond police overtime.
Businesses are bracing for the worst. Mobile phone shops, luxury watch dealers and jewellers are expecting looting, while glaziers are already rubbing their hands at the prospect of repairing shopfronts. Some shopkeepers have chosen not to open at all, writing off lost revenue as insurance against the chaos. And no wonder: past experience suggests the aftermath of the match can be more destructive than the game itself.
Behind the police alert lies an uncomfortable reading of events. The French authorities' phrase — "let it reflect the years of living together" — rings ironic when the reality on the ground is quite different. Some argue that the riots, regardless of the result, expose the failure of integration in the banlieues. Others point out that the tension is cyclical, fed by decades of structural inequality and economic marginalisation. The fact is that, whoever wins, the bill is paid by taxpayers and small businesses.
With a controversial refereeing performance expected — some predict a phantom penalty and a capricious VAR — the night looks set to be a long one. As one caustic summary has it, more than a few would rather see France burn than endure another night of riots. The problem is that, this time, the fire threatens to burn the official narrative of a coexistence that no one takes for granted any more.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (30 replies).
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