Riots in France

France is once again struggling with civil unrest, spurred this time by the killing of a 17-year-old young man of Algerian descent by police at a traffic stop. During a week of violent rioting, nearly a thousand shops and bank branches were looted or attacked, vehicles and buildings were burned, thousands of protesters were arrested, and hundreds of officers injured. The estimated cost of the rampage could reach $1.1 billion (CNN Business, July 5, 2023).

Numerous factors have contributed to the outburst of riots across France: poverty, perceptions of police brutality, political tensions, and thousands of non-integrated immigrants in ghetto-like conditions in areas of larger cities where even the police fear to enter. As police presence has dwindled or disappeared in major cities, highly armed gangs have arisen. All this has left many feeling unsafe where they live. Some growing up in the roughest parts of some cities have spoken up about the lack of police presence and decried the resulting breakdown in social order.

France’s social struggles are not unique, and they tell a story that is playing out around the globe. People are growing unhappy and unsettled, and politicians and leaders are ignorant of the fundamental reasons why. Some blame it on guns and access to weapons, others blame it on immigration, while still others even blame it on climate change. But the truth of the matter is deeper. Human beings need a purpose in life and clear guidelines for directing their lives. However, the biblical moral values that have long been part of the foundation of Israelite-descended societies, such as France, are being rejected and discarded. Mankind needs a Savior who can bring a spiritual transformation and a righteous set of laws to guide society. The time is coming when that righteous set of laws will “go forth” from Jerusalem and humanity will begin that transformation (Isaiah 2:2–4). To learn more about the simple and profound laws that will one day bring peace to the world, read or listen to our booklet The Ten Commandments.