2022 Corsica unrest

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2022 Corsica unrest
Part of Corsican conflict
Yvan protest 2022.webp
Scene of disorder. A flag of Corsica is planted in the centre, and an image of Yvan Colonna on the right
Date9 March – 10 April 2022 (1 month and 1 day)
Location
Corsica
Caused byBeating and death of Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna in prison
Methods Protests, rioting, arson
Parties
Casualties and losses
25 injured
77 injured

In March 2022, the island of Corsica, France, saw protests in response to a prison attack on nationalist leader Yvan Colonna. [1] [2] There were rallies in the main cities of Ajaccio, Calvi and Bastia that descended into violent clashes between police and protestors. [3] [4] Protestors threw stones and flares at gendarmes. [5]

Contents

Background

Yvan Colonna was a Corsican nationalist who was arrested in 2003 for the 1998 murder of Corsican prefect Claude Érignac. Colonna is a hero among many Corsicans, and has become a symbol of Corsican nationalism. On 2 March 2022, an inmate started beating Colonna in his prison cell, seriously injuring the latter and sending him into a coma. His attack sparked a series of riots in Corsica. [6] Colonna died at hospital of his wounds on 21 March 2022, at the age of 61, three weeks after being attacked. [7]

Events

On 9 March, windows were smashed and the courthouse of Ajaccio was set on fire. [8] A bank was also damaged with a hijacked mini excavator. [9] On 10 March, many projectiles were thrown at police outside a Calvi government building. [10] The same night cars were set on fire in downtown Ajaccio. [11]

Rioting flared up again on 13 March, when 7,000–12,000 protesters marched in the streets in defence of Colonna. The protests spiralled into riots, and police officers sprayed demonstrators with tear gas and water cannon as rioting continued. Rioters in Bastia attacked numerous infrastructure, including the local post office and a tax office. Police officers said that 67 people had been injured in total; 44 of them were members of the police. [6] The number was later revised to 102 injuries in total with 77 police injuries. [12]

The National Liberation Front of Corsica announced on 16 March that they supported the demonstrators and that a last straw would result in an insurrection that could renew their militant campaign against the French government. [12]

On 21 March, Colonna died of his injuries. While protests erupted, the demonstrations were more peaceful and no riots occurred. [13] Tensions continued and French authorities put Corsica on "maximum riot alert". [14]

On 28 March, a rally was held in front of riot police barracks near Bastia. [15]

On 7 April 2022, two villas in Canale-di-Verde and Ghisonaccia were set on fire. Investigators found a tag in the Canale-di-Verde house written with the words "For Yvan." [16] [17]

A few days later, a villa in Chevano, Pianottoli-Caldarello was destroyed. The walls were vandalized with phrases such as "Per tè Yvan," "IFF (I Francesi Fora)" and "Fora a Francia!!!" Additional messages on the building showed that the attack was claimed by a group named the Action des jeunes pour la renaissance de la Corse or AJRC. [18] A house in Conca was burned the next day with similar messages found on the scene. [19]

Response

President of the Executive Council of Corsica Gilles Simeoni said that the attack on Colonna was an assassination attempt, and called for the Castex government to respond. [20] [21] Due to the unrest affecting the upcoming campaign for the presidential election and parliamentary election, the French government is reportedly considering giving autonomy to Corsica. [22] [23]

On 21 March, there were demonstrations of solidarity by exponents of Sardinian independence at the French consulate of Sassari. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corse-du-Sud</span> Department in Corsica, France

Corse-du-Sud is an administrative department of France, consisting of the southern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged with that of Haute-Corse on 1 January 2018, forming the single territorial collectivity of Corsica, with territorial elections coinciding with the dissolution of the separate council. Although its administrative powers were ceded to the new territorial collectivity, it continues to remain an administrative department in its own right. In 2019, it had a population of 158,507.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Liberation Front of Corsica</span> Corsican nationalist militant organization

The National Liberation Front of Corsica is a name used by many militant groups that advocate an independent state on the island of Corsica, separate from France. The organisations are primarily present in Corsica and less so on the French mainland. A Conculta Naziunalista was often considered to be the political wing of the original organisation.

Armata Corsa was an underground separatist terrorist organization in Corsica, founded in 1999 and disbanded around 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsica</span> Island and administrative region of France

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia, the nearest land mass. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. As of January 2024, it had a population of 355,528.

Bernard Bonnet, French civil servant, is best known for being the first prefect since World War II to be convicted of an offense committed in the course of his duties, his role in the "Affair of the beach huts".

Yvan Colonna was a Corsican nationalist convicted for the 1998 assassination of the prefect of Corse-du-Sud, Claude Érignac. He was beaten to death in prison by an inmate, sparking riots.

Claude Jean Pierre Érignac was a French prefect on the island of Corsica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsican nationalism</span> Southern European national identity

Corsican nationalism is the concept of a cohesive nation of Corsica and a national identity of its people. The Corsican autonomy movement stems from Corsican nationalism and advocates for further autonomy for the island, if not outright independence from France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian occupation of Corsica</span> WWII event (1942–1943)

The Italian occupation of Corsica refers to the military occupation by the Kingdom of Italy of the French island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period of increased control over the island, by early spring 1943 the Maquis had begun to occupy the hinterland. In the aftermath of the Armistice of Cassibile, the Italian capitulation to the Allies, the Germans evacuated Sardinia via Corsica and occupied the island with the support of Italian units who had defected to them. Italian troops under Giovanni Magli, the Maquis and Free French Forces joined forces against the Germans and liberated the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsican conflict</span> French regional conflict since 1976

The Corsican conflict is an armed and political conflict on the island of Corsica which began in 1976 between the government of France and Corsican nationalist militant groups. Beginning in the 1970s, the Corsican conflict peaked in the 1980s before Corsican nationalist groups and the French government reached a truce in 2016. It is currently ongoing following the 2022 Corsica unrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Corsican protests</span> 2015 violent clashes in Corsica

The 2015 Corsican protests were a series of marches by several hundred Corsican nationalists that began on 25 December, in Ajaccio, capital of Corsica. During the initial demonstrations, a Muslim prayer hall was burned down and Qur'ans were set alight. Further protests were organised after the initial march despite a government ban on protests until 4 January 2016. The protesters claimed to be acting in revenge for an incident that occurred the day prior when firefighters and police were assaulted in the neighbourhood of Les Jardins de l'Empereur; however, outside observers labeled the ensuing riots as anti-Arab and anti-Muslim. The Corsican nationalist politicians have claimed their view does not legitimise xenophobia, blaming the protest on French nationalism instead. Scholarly opinions on this claim are divided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pè a Corsica</span> Corsican political coalition

Pè a Corsica was a Corsican nationalist political alliance in France, which was calling for more autonomy for Corsica. More specifically, it was a coalition of the two Corsican nationalist parties active on the island; that is, the moderately autonomist Femu a Corsica and the strongly committed separatist Corsica Libera. The party was led by the autonomist Gilles Simeoni. The alliance was renewed for the 2017 territorial election. However, the alliance was dissolved for the 2021 territorial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilles Simeoni</span>

Gilles Simeoni is a lawyer and politician in Corsica, France. He was mayor of Bastia from 2014 to 2016 and has been president of the executive council of Corsica since 2015. Notably, Simeoni served as the Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna's lawyer at his trial for the assassination of Claude Érignac.

The 2017 Corsican territorial elections were held on 3 and 10 December 2017 to elect 63 members of the Corsican Assembly, who in turn determined the composition of the Executive Council of Corsica. The election was held only two years after the 2015 territorial elections, and were called as a result of the planned creation of a single collectivity within Corsica resulting from the mergers of two departments, and the existing territorial collectivity of Corsica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmond Simeoni</span> French politician

Edmond Simeoni was a Corsican doctor, politician and nationalist. He was the brother of Max Simeoni, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1989 to 1994 and father of Gilles Simeoni.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurent Marcangeli</span> French politician

Laurent Marcangeli is a French politician who has been serving as a member of the National Assembly from 2012 to 2017 and again from 2022, representing Corse-du-Sud's 1st constituency.

The Petit Bar Gang is an organized crime group from Corsica. It gets its name from the "Petit Bar," an establishment in Ajaccio, owned by Ange-Marie Michelosi, a lieutenant of Jean-Jérôme Colonna, from whose gang it is said to originate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsican autonomy</span>

Corsican autonomy is the principle and a movement for autonomy or self government for the island of Corsica, with political powers devolved from the French government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleria standoff</span> Standoff between Corsican militants and French Gendarmerie

The Aleria standoff was a confrontation between members of the French Gendarmerie and Corsican nationalist militants who entrenched themselves in a wine cellar at Aleria, Corsica, on 21 and 22 August 1975. The armed activists belonged to the radical nationalist party Action Régionaliste Corse (ARC). The occupation resulted in a strong reaction of the French government, and is regarded as the precursor of the Corsican conflict.

References

  1. ↑ Coffey, David (10 March 2022). "Protests intensify in Corsica one week after prison attack on separatist leader Colonna". Radio France Internationale . Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Riots shake Corsica over assault of jailed nationalist figure". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Riots shake France's Corsica over assault on jailed nationalist". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "Corsica protests turn to riots over assault of jailed nationalist Yvan Colonna". France 24. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  5. ↑ Ajaccio, Agence France-Presse in (10 March 2022). "Clashes in Corsica after prison attack on nationalist figure". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Riots in Corsica over jailed nationalist leave dozens injured". RFI. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Yvan Colonna: Corsican nationalist dies after jihadist jail attack". BBC. 21 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "Corsica's Ajaccio court on fire during Yvan Colonna riots". uk.finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "Manifestations en soutien à Yvan Colonna : nouvelle soirée de tensions en Corse". France Bleu (in French). 9 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Protesters Throw Projectiles at Police Outside Corsica Government Building". uk.movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Cars Set Alight as Protests Continue on Corsica". uk.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  12. 1 2 "France may offer Corsica 'autonomy' as it struggles to quell protests". the Guardian. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Macron calls for calm after death of jailed Corsican nationalist". the Guardian. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Allen, Peter (22 March 2022). "Corsica on riot alert as nationalist Yvan Colonna dies after prison attack". Evening Standard . Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Corsica: Tense rally near riot police barracks". euronews. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  16. ↑ https://www.ouest-france.fr/corse/mort-d-yvan-colonna-incendie-volontaire-d-une-maison-deja-visee-deux-fois-et-taguee-per-yvan-b5ec1c14-b660-11ec-b116-e879225002a2 (in French)
  17. ↑ "Ghisonaccia : une résidence secondaire visée par un attentat". France 3 Corse ViaStella (in French). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Pianottoli : une résidence secondaire détruite par un incendie criminel". France 3 Corse ViaStella (in French). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Conca : deux maisons visées par des incendies criminels en deux nuits". France 3 Corse ViaStella (in French). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Gilles Simeoni: «Nous ne sommes pas à l'abri d'un embrasement généralisé en Corse»". LEFIGARO (in French). 11 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  21. ↑ "Corse : l'autonomiste Gilles Simeoni appelle le gouvernement à « ouvrir un véritable dialogue »". Le Monde.fr (in French). 11 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "French government floats Corsican 'autonomy' as unrest jolts election campaign". France 24. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  23. ↑ Samuel, Henry (16 March 2022). "France considering giving Corsica 'autonomy' as violent protests sweep island". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "Il vento indipendentista spazza di nuovo la Corsica". La Nuova Sardegna (in Italian). 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
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