French Militant Embarrasses Hollande By Recalling The Colonial Crimes

Henri Pouillot, a militant for the memory, anti-racism and colonialism, confounds the French President, Francois Hollande, on the eve of the massacres of October 17, 1961, which France refused to recognize although they are classified as a crime that was committed by the French state.

He said, in an open letter that was published on his own blog and that was quoted by APS, on Wednesday, that Francois Hollande, on October 15, 2011, as a candidate for the presidency of the republic, signed a petition that was initiated by the “Group of October 17, 1961”, which calls upon the French president at the time to “recognize the state’s crime that was committed by France in October 17, 1961 and condemned it”, but his letter to Hollande was not answered, and the militants of the group, including Henri Pouillot were not received by the French presidency. 

“French president expressed his position on October 17, 2012 through the press”.

Militant Henri Pouillot, who witness the war of liberation and the torture that was practiced by the French army against the Algerians, criticized the French President Hollande, because he did not specify in his position on the massacres of October 17, 1961, the party that is responsible for these events.

“Massacres were not recognized as a state’s crime as it was committed by the French President a year ago when he was a candidate for the presidency”.

Previously, President Hollande stated in 2012 that “On October 17, 1961 Algerians were killed in a bloody repression when they were protesting for their right to independence. French Republic recognizes very clearly these events and pray for mercy after fifty-one years of the tragedy, on the memory day of the victims”.

Pouillot told Hollande; “Your statements about the war of national liberation is not at the level of responsibility of France towards the Algerian people”.

“When will the French state recognize its responsibilities and condemn the crimes that it committed especially the” massacres of May 8, 1945 and October 17, 1961 and February 8, 1962, and its crimes against humanity and colonialism, torture and arbitrary executions and nuclear tests in the Algerian desert, and camps of detention, and telling the truth about the assassination of Maurice Audin?”