French Mayors Demand Answers After October 17 Riots
Listen to the story
Mayors across France have reacted with anger after riots took place on October 17, which caused damage in several cities.
The French association of mayors, a group that represents city leaders, has called for public gatherings outside town halls.
The mayors say they are indignant about what happened and want the government to give clear answers.
Three well-known mayors, Emmanuel Grégoire, Benoît Payan and Grégory Doucet, wrote together about the events.
They said that whole areas of their cities were left without protection during the unrest on October 17.
This means that police or security were not present in some neighbourhoods when the violence happened.
The mayors believe this lack of protection allowed the damage to happen more easily.
By organising public gatherings, the association of mayors hopes to show how serious the situation is.
They also want to put pressure on national leaders to explain their decisions.
The exact scale of the damage has not yet been fully described in public statements.
However, the strong reaction from several major city mayors shows that many local leaders see this as a serious problem.
They are now asking officials to take responsibility and to prevent this from happening again.
The call for gatherings is also a way to inform citizens and encourage them to show support for local safety efforts.
More details are expected as officials respond to the mayors' demands.
Vocabulary11 words
- riot
- violent trouble in public with many people
- association
- a group of people or organisations joined together
- indignant
- feeling angry because something seems unfair
- without protection
- not kept safe by anyone
- unrest
- a situation with public anger or trouble
- security
- people or systems that keep places safe
- pressure
- strong effort to make someone do something
- officials
- people who have authority in government
- responsibility
- the duty to deal with something
- demand
- to ask strongly for something
- gathering
- a meeting of many people in one place
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Riots on October 17 2. Gather outside town halls 3. Protection in parts of their cities
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Mayors across France have reacted with anger after _____ took place on October 17.
The French _____ of mayors has called for public gatherings outside town halls.
The mayors say they are _____ about what happened.
Three well-known mayors, Emmanuel Grégoire, Benoît Payan and Grégory Doucet, wrote together about the _____.
They said that whole areas of their cities were left without _____ during the unrest.
This means that police or _____ were not present in some neighbourhoods.
The mayors believe this lack of protection allowed the _____ to happen more easily.
By organising public gatherings, the association hopes to show how serious the _____ is.
They also want to put _____ on national leaders to explain their decisions.
The mayors are now asking officials to take _____ and prevent this from happening again.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the mayors are calling for public gatherings instead of just making statements?
- What responsibilities do local governments have in keeping cities safe during unrest?
- Why might some neighbourhoods have been left 'without protection' during the riots?
- How can citizens and local leaders work together after events like this?
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