French MPs Seek Recognition of 1961 Paris Massacre of Algerians as ‘State Crime’
Members of France’s La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) parliamentary group have tabled a draft resolution urging the French government to officially recognize the massacre of Algerians in Paris on October 17, 1961, as a State crime, according to the text published by the National Assembly under reference No. 1899.
Filed during the 17th legislative session, the proposal’s text recalls that hundreds of Algerians were killed or went missing during the bloody repression of a peaceful demonstration organized by the National Liberation Front (FLN) to protest a discriminatory curfew imposed by Paris police on “Muslims from Algeria.” It stresses that the violence was carried out under the authority of the French state and should not be attributed solely to the then-prefect of police, Maurice Papon.
“The massacre of October 17, 1961, cannot be reduced to the actions of a single individual. It was the result of decisions taken with the assent of the highest state authorities,” the preamble states.
The resolution explicitly calls on the government to publicly acknowledge the full and entire responsibility of the French state for the massacre and to classify it as a State crime. It also proposes that October 17 be inscribed in the French republican calendar as an official national day of commemoration, in memory of the victims and as recognition of the event’s historic significance.
“This recognition must not remain purely symbolic but should contribute to building a living, shared memory that allows the Republic to face its history,” the text adds.
The resolution cites research by historians, including Jean-Luc Einaudi, who estimated the number of victims between 100 and 300, compared to the three deaths reported in the official count at the time. It highlights the systemic and racial nature of the repression, describing it as “a reflection of a colonial and discriminatory system within state institutions.”
The authors argue that an official parliamentary recognition would mark “a decisive step toward a shared historical memory between France and Algeria”, founded on truth, justice, and mutual respect rather than political or ideological interests.
In its sole article, the draft text calls on the government to “publicly and fully acknowledge the responsibility of the French State for the massacres committed on 17 October 1961, recognizing them as a State crime rather than a local deviation,” and “To include 17 October in the republican calendar as a national day of remembrance honoring the victims and affirming the Republic’s rejection of all forms of discrimination and violence.”
