Unforgivable Crime

Algeria, a country in Northern Africa, has been fighting a war for independance against France for 131 years. France has imprisoned, tortured, and killed millions of Algerians, fighting against the French’s repressive [[colonial rule->colonial rule]].

A curfew has been imposed by the head of the Paris police force, Maurice Papon against Algerians after attacks on French Police were carried out. Algerians walking in groups, seen out of their house at night, or driving their cars at any time may be arrested and detained on [[suspicion->suspicion]] of terrorism.

In response, the French branch of the National Liberation Front (FLN), a group fighting for Algerian independence calls for a [[protest->protest]] in the streets of Paris.

20,000 to 30,000 French-Algerians demonstrate on the streets of Paris, and the "[[ratonnade->ratonnade]]," meaning "rat-hunting” by French police begins.

In Place Charles de Gaulle, the FLN declares the demonstration must be peaceful in nature, and calls for families to demonstrate together. [[You decide to attend.->You decide to go]]

Making your way to the meeting place, you see crowds gathering. [[You head in their direction. ->You head in their direction]]

You see that police have blocked off the routes leading to the protests starting point. [[You approach the crowd->You approach the crowd]] [[You find a new route->You find a new route]]

You witness police officers pushing the crowd to disperse. [[You find a new route->You find a new route]] [[Continue moving through the crowd->Continue moving through the crowd]]

You find another way to reach the meeting place, and converge with other protesters in Porte de Versailles, but get stopped by police again. You [[relent->relent]] in search of a new route and approach the crowd

Approaching the crowd and police, you see the police charging at you and your fellow demonstrators, using excessive force. [[You defend yourself->You defend yourself]] [[You are passive->You are passive]]

17 October 1961 [[Paris->Paris]], France

You defend yourself and the other protesters as you believe you are marching to call for an end to the discriminatory and racist laws enacted to keep you silenced and under oppressive colonial rule. You believe you have the right to [[demand->demand]] you are afforded basic rights in France.

You move with the crowd, slowly making your way through Paris’ streets. However, you are [[wary->a policeman stops you]] of the police, and give them a wide birth.

You begin protesting in the streets, calling for an end to the discriminatory and racist laws enacted to keep you silenced and under oppressive colonial rule. [[A policeman approaches your group->A policeman approaches your group]].

Police [[stop->stops]] you

[[You engage->you engage]] [[You run->You run]]

You are arrested, along with more than more than 12,000 other Algerians and shoved in a van and taken to [[jail->jail]].

A policeman stops you [[You run->You run]] [[You engage->engage]]

You run in the opposite direction, evading the police, other protesters, and pedestrians. [[You run home->You run home]], trying not to get stopped by police for ignoring the curfew You run to a nearby [[park->park]] and hide until daybreak

You are arrested, along with more than more than 12,000 other Algerians and shoved in a van and taken to [[jail->jail]].

Prisoners were insulted, beaten, photographed and listed as terrorists. They were left in jail or detention camps for weeks in poor living conditions. Some were even deported to Algeria, despite being French nationals. Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian immigrant workers were also stopped and searched as police believed they were Algerian, making anyone a [[target->target]].

You run home, however, on your way you see police shooting and arresting people. Some protesters, even young children, had their hands tied and thrown in the river Sienne to drown. Others were shot by police and thrown in the river to dispose of the bodies. For weeks bodies would brush up on shore, reminding the citie's citizens of the events that unfolded and the [[injustice->home]] that took place.

You hide in the bushes of a nearby park, trying your best to control your breathing and not attract any attention to yourself. You watch as police detain and kill protesters, regardless of age. Some are shot outright, while others have their hands tied and thrown in the river Seine to drown. If caught, you could be sent to jail or killed, so you watch in horror as this unfolds. Once daybreaks, you return [[home->home]].

Maurice Papon, the Paris police chief who instigated the violence and killing of innocent demonstraters would continue to [[serve->serve]] in different capacities in the French police force.

Weeks pass and the police knock on your door. You are informed you are being arested for participating in the previous weeks protest, and are sent to [[jail->jail]].

He had served in Constantine, Algeria during the Algerian revolutionary war and supervised the [[repression->repression]] and torture of Algerian political prisoners in 1956. In addition, he oversaw the deportation of 1,600 Jews to Nazi concentration camps in Germany during World War II.

In 1998, he was convicted for his complicity in Nazi crimes against humanity and served less than three years of his 10-year sentence before [[dying->dying]].

No-one was tried for the events that took place in 1961 as the massacre was subject to the general amnesty granted for crimes committed during the Algerian War. More than sixty years later, the French government has only recently acknowledged its chequered colonial past, however it has yet to more broadly acknowledge and appologize for its acts against humanity durings its iron reign in Algeria.