Global Courant
PARIS
French citizens Anadolu met on Saturday are opposed to President Emmanuel Macron’s words, which said social media could be cut off during the riots.
Aya Garde said that such incidents are common in China, Russia and African countries, but this is the first time he’s heard of it in France.
Stating that Macron’s statements are problematic in terms of freedom of expression, Erdoğan added that France has turned into a country where human rights are restricted.
“This is not good news,” he said.
A member of the media, who did not want to be named due to security concerns, emphasized that freedom of expression is a fundamental right that should not be hindered and that such a move would be against the fundamental values of France.
Social media user Leonie Salvo said the criticism should not be seen as opposition to the French state.
“We have no intention of destroying France,” he said.
Another user, Magali Davrou, argued that social media can be limited in emergencies, but that it should not be turned into a bigger move to restrict freedom of expression.
Protests began last week when a police officer shot and killed Nahel M. for allegedly failing to follow stop warnings during traffic control in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The officer who fired is facing an official investigation for willful manslaughter and is placed under preliminary arrest.
The protests that started in Nanterre quickly spread to other cities such as Lyon, Toulouse, Lille and Marseille.
Tensions escalated after clashes between police and protesters, before declining this week.
Police arrested 20 more in one night in nationwide protests, 55 vehicles and buildings were set on fire, and 81 fires broke out on public roads, most of them trash cans, according to figures provided by the Interior Ministry to the newspaper Le Figaro.
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