It’s Monday, October 19. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Jesse Singal on the strange disappearance of James Talarico. Bethany McLean on how an AI bubble might pop. Suzy Weiss on the man rescuing art from Nazis. And much more.
But first: France is burning.
Chaos engulfed France this weekend, as thousands of protesters stormed buildings and set streets ablaze. More than 2,000 people were arrested and more than 600 police officers injured in one of the largest anti-government protests in modern French history. In Limoges, the historic town hall’s spire and roof were destroyed by arsonists.
Andrew Hussey lives just a mile from the scene of some of the worst protests in Paris, and today he recounts the war zone–like scenes outside his home: masked protesters, Palestinian flags everywhere, and rioters moving in coordinated units to threaten the country’s three main symbolic sites. “I went to bed last night as sickened and frightened by the scenes of violence in Paris and all over France as I have ever been,” he writes. It looked, to him, like the onset of a French civil war.
The riots, which are ongoing, have left the nation shell-shocked. Earlier this month, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen wrote in these pages about brewing unrest, which began with students protesting absent teachers and poor school conditions. She writes again today, about the night the protesters shouted “C’est la Révolution, on prend la Bastille!” It’s the revolution. We’re taking the Bastille! Where does the revolutionary rage come from, and where is it headed? Read Simone’s piece for answers.
The violence in France is not only a symptom of French malaise; it’s also part of a greater continental crisis. Disaffected young people have recently waged violence on the streets of Madrid and Brussels, too. In case you missed his essay last week, read Niall Ferguson on why Europe is ablaze, and how the youth “are dimly aware that they are being screwed, but they don’t appear to understand who’s doing the screwing.” Their misdiagnosis, he argues, may help drive the continent toward collapse.
—Jillian Lederman
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