The key facts
- Maria Zakharova called the protests in France a 'reality show of dehumanization'
- The protests began in late September with actions by high school students over problems in education
- On October 17 more than half a million people took to the streets against rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power
Zakharova's statement
Russian Foreign Ministry official spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Sputnik radio that the protests that have flared up in France resemble a 'reality show of dehumanization' that is destroying people's fates. According to her, live broadcasts show how, every day, the fates are broken of those who had no part in the protests and of those who worked every day.
'Barricades' and assessment of events
Zakharova stressed that the fates of those 'on the other side of the barricades' are also being destroyed, clarifying that these barricades do not divide people by their views, but 'distinguish the rational person from the irrational one.' The diplomat noted that she is touched by the opinions of experts who see in what is happening only a 'protest of the day': in her view, this is no longer just protests but genuine dehumanization, and the anti-culture of street revolutionary madness in France has multiplied over the past decades.
Context of the protests
The protests in France began in late September with demonstrations by high school students over problems in the field of education and gradually spread across the entire country. On October 17, more than half a million people took to the streets — activists, representatives of youth, trade unions, and workers' movements. The protesters spoke out against rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power. Earlier, Russians were urged to avoid places of mass gatherings of people in France.
