"" Black lives matter "has become universal, it's the #MeToo of young people"

• Nearly 20,000 people gathered this Saturday on the Place de la République at the call of the Adama Traoré committee to denounce racism and police violence in France.
• Many young demonstrators, teenagers and students, were present, more than at previous demonstrations.
• “Today we are witnessing the emergence of a new critical generation. Young people today are more sensitive than their elders to a logic of social and political transformation, ”explains Laurent Lardeux, sociologist specializing in youth engagement , to 20 Minutes .

"We walk with our fists raised to show that we exist" ... Nearly 20,000 people gathered this Saturday on Place de la République at the call of the Adama Traoré committee, to denounce racism and police violence in France. Many young demonstrators, teens and students, were present, more than at previous rallies. Most responded to the mobilization call via social media, where the hashtags #JusticePourAdama or #GenerationAdama have gone viral in recent days. "Many videos, testimonies and calls to protest circulated on Twitter, Facebook or Tik Tok under the banner Black lives matter [" The life of blacks counts "]. It's our rallying cry, to us young people, it's our #MeToo ”, explains Alexandre, a 21-year-old student from Seine-Saint-Denis.

Adama Traoré, who died during his arrest by the gendarmes in 2016, and more recently George Floyd, who died of asphyxiation during his arrest by the police in the United States, are today erected as a symbol by a whole section of the youth. “The different mobilizations that we have observed in recent years have in common that they have a similar starting point: a current event that arouses indignation, a deep anger long remained buried or silent by previous generations, and which finds with the force of social networks a new echo among the new generations. There is a real "virality" of contemporary movements that we have also been able to observe recently with the #MeToo movement or the marches for the climate, and which allows to multiply the forces present ", decrypts Laurent Lardeux, sociologist specialist youth engagement, responsible for studies and research at INJEP (National Institute for Youth and Popular Education).

"We are observing the emergence of a new critical generation"

Dressed in a “Justice for Adama” t-shirt, Hawa, Salamata, Cindy, Hanaine and their comrades came to denounce “ambient racism” in society, and to make their voices heard, too often “discredited”. Mobilized for four years to “bring the truth out” in the Adama Traoré affair, they are today of all the struggles “that affect them”. "We are a generation committed, against police violence, racism, but also against violence against women, sexism ... We no longer want to suffer, but build our future," said Hawa, just 20 years old. “It is up to us to change things, to choose the society in which we want to live. The future is us! Adds Hanaine, who also campaigns for the defense of the environment, through the "Climate Marches".

"The current mobilizations that we observe on the question of discrimination and police violence can give means of expression to the feeling of frustration that can have some young citizens, graduates as non-graduates, from downtown as from suburbs, by expanding the causes to be defended, ”explains Laurent Lardeux. “In fact, we are witnessing the emergence of a new critical generation today. Young people today are more sensitive than their elders to a logic of social and political transformation. This tendency is very clearly observed by a very sustained participation in various protest movements like those that we have seen appearing in recent days against police violence, or other recent ones like the Marches for the climate ", adds the sociologist .

With their #justicepourAdama T-shirt, Hanaine, Aissata, Khadija, Cindy, Mariame, Salamata and Hawa came to denounce the #violencepolicieres. "We are a generation committed, against #racism, violence #women ... We no longer want to suffer, but build our future" pic.twitter.com/8ex8RBziFa

The members of the Adama Traoré committee, led by the charismatic Assa Traoré, have also invested in other social and societal struggles to make themselves heard. They marched alongside the "yellow vests", took the lead in an organization demonstration against the policy of Emmanuel Macron in May 2018, and even participated in the occupation of a shopping center with the radical environmental activists of 'Extinction rebellion. "The new generations declare a stronger attachment to the so-called" post-materialist "values ​​linked to the fight against discrimination, the environment, social justice, the defense of freedom of expression, democratic participation , and tend to replace the older "materialist" generations who are more favorable to questions related to employment or purchasing power ", decrypts Laurent Lardeux.

"With the period of confinement that we have just lived, there is an overflow"

Mathilde, too, says she is very committed, and much more recently. “We should not be here today to demonstrate against racism. It's from another time, from another era that is not ours, it should no longer exist! "Explains the 23-year-old student, also an activist for the feminist cause. “Speech is released everywhere, young people are fed up with everything that is happening. And with the period of #confinement that we have just lived, there is an overflow ”, adds the young woman. "Many are here today to let off steam after the difficult period that the country has experienced, and its catastrophic management by the government," confirms his friend Yoana.

“Speech is released everywhere, young people are fed up with everything that is happening. And with the period of #confinement that we have just lived, there is an overflow ”, explains Mathilde, who came to demonstrate against #racism with her friend Yoana. #JusticePourAdama pic.twitter.com/qaLaouCt67

A thesis also advanced by Emmanuel Macron himself, who in private, would have woven "a link between the success of spontaneous demonstrations against racism and the period of confinement", thus noting "that we had made something terrible happen to youth ”between March 17 and May 11. “For teens, staying in it is unnatural, almost aphysiological. These young people need causes to express themselves, as we have seen with the environment, "said the head of state, according to information from the  Parisian .

A convergence of struggles?

“After a period of confinement which could accentuate inequalities between young people, in an economic and social context which has become very fragile, it is not impossible that several categories of young people collectively take up public space to build a convergence of struggles and try to "broaden the initial purpose of the mobilization", also recognizes Laurent Lardeux, sociologist specializing in youth engagement. A convergence of struggles that would not displease Samir, engaged in an association to combat discrimination in Seine-Saint-Denis. "At one time or another, the youth of this country will wake up, say" stop "to injustices, demand more equality and a better future", explains the young man.

The increase in inequalities, “both at the intra-generational level (within the same generation of young people where the cleavages have never been so strong) and at the inter-generational level (where the young people, however, clearly have more qualifications that their parents consider themselves in a situation of downgrading) could constitute an additional reason for mobilization ”, warns Laurent Lardeux today. The President of the Republic seems to have taken stock of the phenomenon, and should try to reassure "the youth" during his speech Sunday evening.

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• Society
• Mobilization
• Youth
• Paris
• Demonstration
• Racism
• Police violence
• George Floyd
• Adama Traore