Like the death of Thomas Perotto in Crépol on November 18, news stories reporting deaths or injuries during brawls have been increasing in recent times. If it is difficult to distinguish between the magnifying mirror of the media or the description of a phenomenon in full explosion, what we do know, however, is that brawls between young people are increasing in number and that Île-de-France seems to have made it a sordid specialty.
To the point that Fatima Ogbi, elected to the Regional Council, launched a plan to combat brawls in Île-de-France. According to his analysis, one in two brawls (51.5% in 2020) in France takes place in the region. Also deputy mayor of Grigny, the elected official is sadly concerned since the department of Essonne records half of the brawls observed in the region (91 cases out of 186 in 2020). For 20 minutesshe explains the contours of this plan.
Young participants, futile reasons
But first, what is a fight? The term so often used is not easy to define. According to the report, this is neither ordinary delinquency nor protest violence. They are disconnected from drug trafficking or the underground economy. “It is a very volatile phenomenon,” explains Fatima Ogbi, “it is not a new phenomenon, but it is a new form that has appeared in recent years and has become more pronounced. »
According to the report, the participants in these brawls are increasingly younger, between 13 and 17 years old: “Across Évry-Courcouronnes, it is estimated that around 15% of 11 to 18 year olds would be involved in brawls. . » They are sometimes the translation of geographical rivalries, between cities or between districts, but evolve very quickly, sometimes down to the departmental level.
“But what stands out above all is the futility of the reasons for these clashes. It can be a simple look or a romantic rivalry,” adds Fatima Ogbi. Worse, certain rivalries are passed down from generation to generation, and they give rise to brawls of which the actors do not even know the cause. “We have examples between the towns of Saint-Michel-sur-Orge and Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, a rivalry that has continued for 3 or 4 years. Or between Evry against Courcouronnes, for twenty years. When we ask them why they are fighting, they themselves are unable to answer. »
So many causes which make it very difficult to apprehend and fight against these events.
Curbing the phenomenon
But to still try to slow down the phenomenon and avoid new tragedies, the control plan highlights several areas of work. One of them concerns social networks. If brawls did not wait for Instagram or TikTok to exist, social networks are a field of expression that allows them to prosper.
Upstream first, through the provocations and threats that abound or the “encounters” that they allow between potential rivals, creating an atmosphere of escalation. During and after, by relaying the broadcast of images, sometimes live, which self-perpetuates a climate of violence. “The control of these networks and their surveillance are a key issue for preventing and anticipating brawls,” establishes the report. “We can work with specialized associations on these points. They intervene in high schools to remind people of the dangers of digital technology, and their consequences, including the most tragic ones,” adds Fatima Ogbi.
Training and cooperation
It is the monitoring of these same networks which made it possible to prevent a brawl from breaking out this weekend in Essonne, recalls the elected official. Alerted via social networks, the police were able to intervene before the situation between two groups degenerated. But to manage these very specific conflicts, training is necessary. Training that Fatima Ogbi requests for the entire sovereign aspect of order: Police, justice and mediation.
But this training is everyone’s business according to the report. Also, Fatima Ogbi recommends that grassroots associations, local authority agents and elected officials also benefit from specific training to prevent these dangers.
All trained, these actors could collaborate more efficiently. The report takes as an example the commune of Corbeil-Essonnes which has set up a local brawl alert system (DLAR) which links the police, the prefecture, associations and municipal services via a WhatsApp group in order to detect weak signals, monitor social networks or report gatherings.
Prioritize meeting and exchange
Surveillance which could include the entire Île-de-France public transport system. In particular school transport, for which the region is responsible. According to the report, “bus stops and the buses themselves are particularly sensitive places where gangs watch for the possible presence of rivals on the buses.”
Finally, the plan to combat brawls focuses on exchanges between rival or potential adversary groups. Not by offering them a ring, but by sharing and exchanging. For Fatima Ogbi, participating together in cultural or sporting activities helps ease tensions. She takes as an example the “Jeunesse Fière et Solidaire” association in Essonne which organizes one-week inter-district breaks in Royan, in partnership with sports associations.
A million-euro plan for the region
A gamble that paid off according to the elected official: “The districts of Grande Borne and Grigny in Grigny 2 have been fighting for years. We organized activities and stays with the city’s youth service and parents to create links between them. And for several years, we have no longer had fights between these two neighborhoods. We can create the conditions to mitigate this phenomenon. »
And it is to stop this spiral of violence that Fatima Ogbi will ask during the next Regional Council, on December 21, the release of a budget line of one million euros dedicated to the implementation of this plan.