The notion of 'anti-White racism' is an ideological construct aimed at downplaying the systemic, social and cultural racism endured by black people and people of North African origin in France. Mediapart publishing editor Edwy Plenel says that its emergence in public debate is a sign of how France has failed to face up to the issue of colonialism, to both its long past and its persistence today.
The extreme right can celebrate: its strategy of cultural hegemony has notched up another success. Having succeeding in turning crime, immigration and Islam in to media and government obsessions, pushing to one side ambitions to improve society and democratic aspirations, it has managed to downplay and undermine the issue of racism by promoting the idea of 'anti-White racism'.
