As France faces new protests over living costs, lawyer Arié Alimi warns of democratic decline and police violence, citing past cases like Rémi Fraisse's death.
France braces for new protests
France is preparing for further demonstrations against the high cost of living this Saturday, October 24, as citizens continue to voice their frustrations over economic pressures and living conditions.Lawyer highlights police violence concerns
Lawyer Arié Alimi has continued to draw attention to concerns over police violence and what he describes as a democratic decline in France, particularly in his book l'Etat hors-la-loi published by La Découverte in Paris in 2023.Alimi's argument on state illegality
In the book, Alimi argues that a retreat of rights and freedoms is occurring in France, with the most visible effects seen in the treatment of demonstrators and residents of popular neighborhoods. He claims that this trend manifests through police violence.Cases Alimi has represented
Alimi has represented families of individuals affected by police actions, including Rémi Fraisse, who died in 2014 after being struck by a grenade launched by a gendarme; Cédric Chouviat, who died in 2021 after being suffocated by police; and Geneviève Legay, a peaceful demonstrator pushed by police in 2019.Criticism of Macronist narrative
Alimi has consistently criticized what he describes as an authoritarian drift in the government, which he links to serious police violence. He says this issue is often ignored or denied by supporters of President Emmanuel Macron and the mainstream media that aligns with them.
