“We are very disappointed with this press release from the President of the Republic. We were hoping for a strong word that tells the whole truth but this word, we unfortunately did not have it”, lamented Saturday, October 15 on franceinfo, the director and writer Mehdi Lallaoui, president of the association “In the name of memory”. In a press release, the Elysee Palace denounced “inexcusable crimes for the Republic”, while Emmanuel Macron participated in a ceremony of tribute to the Algerian victims of October 17, 1961, at the Bezons bridge, near Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine).
Mehdi Lallaoui’s father, who was among the demonstrators, was beaten up during this rally where “dozens” of Algerians were killed. “We hoped that the Parisian police could be appointed, this is not the case, regretted Mehdi Lallaoui, We hoped that the then Minister of the Interior could be appointed, this is not the case “
franceinfo: Are you satisfied with the Elysee press release and the words used by Emmanuel Macron?
Mehdi Lallaoui: We are very disappointed with this press release from the President of the Republic. We were hoping for a strong word that would tell the whole truth, but unfortunately we did not get this word. What we have been saying for decades is that we have to name things. Maurice Papon was not the only one to commit dozens, even hundreds of assassinations. It was hoped that the Parisian police could be appointed, this is not the case. It was hoped that the then Minister of the Interior could be appointed, this is not the case. It was hoped that the prime minister at the time could be appointed and this is not the case. We hoped that the President of the Republic, who was General De Gaulle, could be appointed in his role in concealing this tragedy, this massacre of October 17, 1961.
According to you Emmanuel Macron did not go further than his predecessor, François Hollande, who spoke of “bloody repression”?
“Bloody repression” or “crimes” are strong words, but it is a massacre and behind this massacre, there are assassins who are not named 60 years later. No one was prosecuted. The President of the Republic could have taken this opportunity to advance a little more in the truth.
You are asking for compensation, but how can it intervene concretely?
There can be no justice without reparation, but we cannot fix the irreparable. The proposal made to the President of the Republic is to ensure that this repair involves the creation of a foundation for the Franco-Algerian fraternity that would help artists, researchers and students from both shores. to bring our two peoples together.
