Clément Méric was a French student and activist who died on Thursday the 6th of June 2013. The 18 year old student partook in an anti-fascist protest march in the French capital days prior to his death. It is presumed that he’d become a target to the Nationalist Revolutionary Youth group JNR a Neo-Nazi mob.
On Wednesday afternoon, Meric had accompanied some of his friends to a Parisian shopping district near St Lazare train station. The group had been shopping at a Fred Perry outlet before the attack took place outside. The group was said to have been in a verbal crossing match that later descended into a violent brawl. Witnesses state that vicious words had been exchanged before the JNR mob had decided to strike the group. Meric who obviously had been the target, had been protesting days earlier when the equal marriage act was legalised in France. Far right-wing groups had taken to the streets of Paris in protest against the newly passed legislation, among them were left-wing groups in favour of the new act which sees gays and lesbians having the opportunity to marry in the French Republic. Meric had been a member of the Antifasciste (Anti-Fascist Group) and was protesting in favour of the cause which had been documented and depicted by French media.
The JNR fascist mob is alleged to involve skinheads who partook in the vicious attack on Meric. An alleged 20 year old man whose identity is known only as ‘Esteban’ is seen to be the main culprit in the events leading up to the crime itself. It was Esteban who witnesses say had been wearing a knuckle-duster when he struck the 18 year old student. Meric had gone into a state of concussion after smashing his skulls against the pavement. Paramedics had later managed to ensure that the teenager had a pulse but that they were unable to help regain his consciousness. On Thursday evening, doctors attending to the patient declared Meric brain dead as the impact of his seizure was indeed delicately fatal. Shortly after, the patient was pronounced dead. Esteban has since been arrested.
Originally from the city of Brest on the coastal region of the province of Brittany, Meric had lived with his family there before taking up studying at the University of Sciences Po in Paris. Flowers and cards of condolences were widespread at the university and respects had been sent to the family including homage being paid by the French President, Francois Hollande.
Speculation that Meric had been a member of the far left-wing group ‘REDSKIN BREST’ goes unnoticed by French media. The group which is an extreme communist mob that glorifies violence has been depicted in some of fashions worn by Meric himself. Unreleased photographs to the public domain show Meric wearing the clothes of his chosen ideologies which include left-wing and far left-wing motives. Lonsdale clothing which is clearly represented by far right-wing movement across Europe and the clothing representing Redskin Brest, Meric’s birth city youth group. It may be understood that Meric’s death was due to his outlandishness and that it might not have been the case if he’d been tactful in the peaceful demonstrations that saw him depicted wearing a scarf over his face during the ant-fascism march in Paris earlier in June.
Although shockwaves have spread across France in recent days with politicians breaking down on national television in disarray to the news and the impact of what Neo-Nazi and right-wing groups are causing, it’s already been at the height of the discussion boards that the cause is due to the legislation of the new equal marriage act and had it not been legalised, that tension in France would’ve soured.
As a result, the death of an 18 year old that had not lived life to the full had been fighting a cause for what he believed in, had become a victim of the far-right. A death in any case should be avoidable; however, this was a crime that was purposely impetrated to make a point. Like former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher once said “The rule of the mob cannot replace the rule of law.” It is precisely this point that France needs to take into consideration and France is doing so by arresting those responsible and dissolving the Nationalist Revolutionary Youth movement, a move that right-wing groups are not taking too well, nonetheless, crime is crime and had it not been the case in this case alone, perhaps the group would still be able to raise its concerns as the French constitution democratically gives way to freedom of speech and expression. The mob had violated their own rights and as a result is faced with the devastating consequences.
Clément Méric
05-06-2013
R.I.P
Chad C Rensburg
No comments:
Post a Comment