The phenomenon of spreading messages of hate on social networks has come in for particular attention from the Council of Europe and the European Union in the last several years. The operators of these networks have taken or pledged steps to tackle it, with differing degrees of success. As for police behaviour, this has not been the subject of any exhaustive studies, opinion polls or specific legal frameworks at EU level.
Yet more and more videos shot by chance passers-by are doing the rounds of the Internet. This is how first America and then the whole of the rest of the world came to witness the terrible murder of George Floyd on 25 May by white police officers in Minneapolis. This matter in itself, but also the attitude of the President of the United States, gave rise to angry protests (Black Lives Matter) also spread to Europe. The movement as provided the opportunity to take a serious look at the question of institutional racism and to gather evidence of it. The MEPs were particularly sensitive to the issue. Against this backdrop of mixed emotions, European colonialism was radically denounced, particularly bitterly in Belgium.
It is worth looking at the sequence of events. On 2 June, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, carried a message from the European Union, which was ‘shocked’ and ‘appalled’ by the incident, stating that ‘all societies must remain vigilant against the excessive use of force’ (see EUROPE 12497/15). At the European Parliament, the GUE/NGL and Renew Europe groups called for a debate and a clear position at the very next plenary session (see EUROPE 12498/31). At the Council of Europe, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) issued press release condemning the institutional racism of which it has gathered examples on visits to the countries and calling for greater diversity in the composition of police forces, human rights training for police officers, dialogue frameworks with minority groups, victim support and investigations into abuses, to be conducted by independent bodies (see EUROPE 12521/26).
In an interview with the Financial Times on 3 June, Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the Commission, said that compared to the USA, Europe does not have blatant police brutality or any issues with racism transcending our systems.
On 4 June, the European Fundamental Rights Agency published its annual report. It states that ‘at EU level, there were some policy developments regarding anti-semitism in 2019, but very few developments addressed racism and xenophobia’. It goes on to note that several member states have still not correctly transposed the framework decision of 2008. Observing the persistent challenge of discriminatory ethnic profiling by police forces, the Agency recommends that member states ‘develop specific, practical and ready-to-use guidance’. As regards the Roma in particular, the FRA noted that very little progress had been made in terms of tackling segregation within education settings since the previous investigation (2016); their housing conditions are frequently very poor, contrary to principle 19 of the European pillar of social rights. Concerning migrants, ‘member states should reinforce their preventive measures against any abusive behaviour by law-enforcement authorities’.
On 12 June, the European Network against Racism (ENAR) sent an open letter to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, co-signed by 159 associations, expressing concerns at the deafening silence of the European leaders concerning police brutality and the protests in Europe, voicing indignation at Mr Schinas’ comments, providing examples of racial profiling and recent violence and calling upon the Commission to take a strong stance against structural racism (see EUROPE 12505/23).
The plenary session of the EP opened on 17 June with a minute’s silence in memory of George Floyd and all victims of racism. President von der Leyen stressed the need to do more than just listen to the demonstrators: ‘we need to talk about racism’. She went on to stress the need for efforts to be made towards greater diversity within the institutions themselves. MEP Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana incidentally reported that just the day before, she had been the victim of police violence ‘of a racist nature’ (see EUROPE 12508/11).
Two days later, the Parliament adopted a lengthy resolution ‘on the anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd’, lending its support to these. It ‘strongly condemns all forms of racism’, calls upon the institutions of the EU officially to recognise ‘past injustices and crimes against humanity committed against black people and people of colour’, urges the Commission to present a comprehensive strategy against racism and discrimination – subjects that should also feature in the annual reports on the rule of law in the EU – calls for member states to refrain from all forms of racial or ethnic profiling, recalls that citizens have a right to film scenes of police violence, and defends the work and freedom of journalists (see EUROPE 12511/21). (To be continued).
Renaud Denuit