Greetings Ross17:
I have located a few resources for you.
"That French people might work with the enemy was unthinkable, but
what made this worse still was the manner in which Jeanson continued
his activities, conducting a clandestine press conference in Paris in
April, followed by the publication of a book, "Notre Guerre,"
outlining the aims of his actions. Jeanson's pungent, confrontational
style, brimming with anger at the Algerian war, was replicated in
Maurienne's "Le Déserteur" and Maurice Maschino's "Le Rufus". Both
were deserters and both explained what had led them to reject
colonialism and side with the FLN, and although the two books were
banned by the French authorities, they nevertheless pointed towards a
growing mood of insubordination, an impression reinforced still
further with the foundation of the Mouvement Anticolonialiste Français
in Switzerland and the first congress of Jeune Résistance in Germany."
From http://www.hum.port.ac.uk/slas/martin/PREFACE.HTM
One of the three books mentioned there may be of assistance.
*********
A film set in Paris 1962 titled "Wild Reeds Sprout in a French Stream"
and it is basically a movie about coming of age. Part of the synopsis
at http://www.epinions.com/content_85564755588 reads "The year is 1962
and France is attempting to keep its colony of Algeria through the use
of military force. While some teenagers do the "twist" and are rather
oblivious to the war, others are keenly affected by the conflict. Many
Algerian-born French citizens are forced to flee Algeria as the
situation deteriorates for those loyal to France. Algeria is on the
verge of winning its independence. However, just as the French were
stubborn about allowing Vietnam to go its separate way, the French
also will take drastic measures to keep Algeria as one of the last
vestiges of imperial France." The text also states "Not for the
homophobic."
From http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/8/newsid_2734000/2734207.stm
*********
If you can locate it, find "La Question (The Question)" by Henri
Alleg, Les Editions de Minuit: Paris 2000. pp111 (first published
1961) according to http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/516/bo5.htm
"With the official records of the period remaining largely closed,
however, and with those committing them never having been held
accountable either for their orders or for their acts, other voices
have been a lot less diplomatic than have those of the political
establishment. It is against this background of French national debate
that the three books under review here have either been re-issued --
Henri Alleg's classic "The Question" and Paulette Péju's two press
reports on brutalities committed at the time in Paris (both 1961) --
or published for the first time, as is the case of the journalist
Jean-Pierre Vittori's "interview" with a former torturer, "We tortured
in Algeria."
"However, as Péju's other pamphlet originally published at the same
time, "Les Harkis à Paris," makes clear in graphic and often revolting
detail, the curfew was not the only thing that the Algerian population
of Paris had to complain of."
Other publications are mentioned here although I don't know if they
are available in English.
I searched "The Question" and found this at
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:ax68fh7e91UJ:www.sacd.fr/telechargement/lettre_info/infos13_en.pdf+Henri+Alleg+%22The+Question%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
"DVD The Question)A film by Laurent Heynemann, written and adapted by
Laurent Heynemann and Claude Veillot, based on the story by Henri
Alleg (Éditions de Minuit). DVDExtras: version commented by Laurent
Heynemann, filmography of the director and cast,interview with Henri
Alleg (plus bibliography). Available from Doriane Films"
*********
OTHER LINKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST:
"We are on October 6, 1961, an official statement of the cabinet of
the Papon prefect reduces the life of the Algerians..."...it is
advised, in the most pressing way, with the Algerian workers to
abstain from circulating the night in the streets of Paris and of the
Parisian suburbs and more particularly of 20h30 with 5h30 of the
morning ". "... it is very highly recommended to the Moslem French to
circulate separately, the small groups being likely to appear suspect
with the rounds and patrols of the police force ". "Finally the
prefect of police force decided that the bars held and attended by
Moslem French of Algeria must close, each day, at 19 hours." By
decree it is thus from now on interdict with the Algerian workers to
circulate the night. Interdict with called "the Moslem French" to
attend the bars as from 19 hours. Interdict to circulate in group.
And as always of the pseudo-reassuring formulas are to be useful
there: "it is advised...", "it is very highly recommended". The
clearness of the official statement is unambiguous."
and
"Among the thousands of Algerian taken along to the Exhibition site of
the door of Versailles, out of tens were killed with blows of stick
and handle of pickaxe, by, bursting fractured skull of spleen or the
liver, crack of the members. Their bodies were trampled under the
benevolent glance of "Mr. Paris, controller general. "of others had
the fingers torn off by the members of the service of order, police
officers and member of the anti-riot polices, who had cynically been
entitled" committee of reception."
From http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.ainfos.ca/01/jan/ainfos00102.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPaulette%2BP%25C3%25A9ju%2BLes%2BHarkis%2B%25C3%25A0%2BParis%2Benglish%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8
Eight die in Paris riot - February 8, 1962 [a BBC "On this day" article reprint]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/8/newsid_2734000/2734207.stm
The Journal of Strategic Studies
Special Issue: France and the Algerian War 1954?62. Strategy,
Operations and Diplomacy
http://www.frankcass.com/jnls/jss_25-2.htm
FRANCE: Special feature: The Paris massacre of 17 October 1961
http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/stories/102002_story04.htm
Nazi Aide Papon Leaves France Prison
"...he was the Prefect of Paris during the Algerian war and was
responsible for what has become known as the October 17th massacre.
On that fateful day (in 1961) some 30,000 Algerians living in Paris
demonstrated (at sundown) against curfews imposed on entire families
and violence at the hands of the police...The curfews were imposed
earlier in the month by Prefect Papon who then did a tour of all the
citiy's police stations with the line."
http://blogs.salon.com/0001514/2002/09/18.html#a216
Paris Massacre of 1961 by Alan Spector
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/revs/current/msg00014.html
The 1961 Massacre of Algerians in Paris: When the media failed the test
http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/algeria_napoli_article.htm
and
35 Years ago the "Battle of Paris": When the Seine was full of bodies
http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/algerians_liberte.htm
[links to more articles in the left column]
A legal case
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/exlibris/1999/03/msg00044.html
Plaque for Algerians Unveiled in Paris
"It was on that fateful day that Algeria's National Liberation Front,
FLN, had organised a rally against a curfew imposed on French Muslims
because of Algeria's independence struggle. The protests were
violently suppressed by the French police, who reportedly fired live
bullets into the crowd and herded 12,000 demonstrators into sports
stadiums where some were tortured. Others were beaten to death or were
found in the River Seine not far from police headquarters."
From http://www.rnw.nl/hotspots/html/paris011018.html
*********
Should you require clarification of any of the links or information I
have provided, please request it before rating and closing this
question, and I will be happy to respond.
Best regards,
journalist-ga
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1961 Algeria Paris
1960 opposition climate Paris Algeria
1961 Paris curfews
October 17 1961 Paris bombing
1961 battle of paris
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Henri Alleg "The Question" |
