On October 27th 2005, two teenagers of North African and Malian descent thought the police were chasing them, ran frantically through the streets of Clichy-sous-Bois, France, and ended up getting electrocuted. Rioting, violence, and destructive fires exploded throughout the country in response. Why was there such an extreme response?? France’s social and economic problems had reached a critical mass, and the people were left with no other outlet for their frustrations. Shockingly high unemployment (23% among young people), deep frustration felt by post-colonial immigrants, and increasing discrimination against minorities (especially Muslim minorities), have resulted in violent, urgent rioting in the streets, and thousands of cars going up in flames.

The frustrations felt by French immigrants are rooted in France’s colonial past. In the mid-1900s, many French colonies in Africa and Southeast Asia began to fight for their independence. In 1954, the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) in Algeria launched their attack on the colons (French colonists) who had settled throughout the country. The French had been in control of Algeria’s resources for more than a century, and Algerians had been largely oppressed in their own country. Islamic Algeria began a fierce guerrilla war that was to span almost a decade, winning their independence in 1962. However, the occupation left the country in a state of poverty. Many Algerians chose to try their luck in France, where they hoped for greater opportunities. Currently, there are about 5 million people of Algerian descent living in France.

North and West Africans are welcome to live in France, but are notably segregated, overwhelmingly jobless, and increasingly angry. The current immigrant group, which makes up about 10% of the population, is separated from their native land by one generation. They are forced to think of themselves as “French” in a country that doesn’t accept them as full citizens. Many studies show that these immigrants are significantly discriminated against in the workplace, and in society. A University of Paris study found that a resume with a classic French name received more than 5 times as many positive responses as one with a North African name. No government officials or public figures are non-white. Through the rioting, France’s “invisible minority” is calling for a change.