The Paris massacre of 1961 occurred on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War (1954–62). Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the French National Police attacked a demonstration by 30,000 pro-National Liberation Front (FLN) Algerians. After 37 years of denial and censorship of the press, in 1998 the French government finally acknowledged 40 deaths, although there are estimates of 100 to 300 victims. Death was due to heavy-handed beating by the police, as well as mass drownings, as police officers threw demonstrators into the river Seine.
There were multiple episodes of violence between French police and the French Algerian community during the Algerian War. The police department was racist on an institutional level and terrorized Algerians with violence; pro-liberation Algerians targeted and killed police with bombing campaigns.
It was in this context that the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon (a former Nazi collaborator later convicted of crimes against humanity) ordered police to kill Algerians, insisting that they would be protected from any consequences.
Under these orders, the French National Police attacked a demonstration by 30,000 pro-National Liberation Front (FLN) Algerians on October 17th, beating dozens to death and throwing people into the Seine river, where many drowned.
Forty years after the massacre, on 17 October 2001, Bertrand Delanoë, the Socialist Mayor of Paris, put up a plaque in remembrance of the massacre on the Pont Saint-Michel. How many demonstrators were killed is still unclear. In the absence of official estimates, the plaque commemorating the massacre reads, “In memory of the many Algerians killed during the bloody repression of the peaceful demonstration of 17 October 1961”
October 17, 1961: A massacre of Algerians in the heart of Paris 
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rant about my health problems
The health anxiety has never been worse
My eyes are fucking melting and they have been for months and doctors don’t know why
Terrified it’s a brain tumor or strokes
Takes so fucking long for appointments to happen
Why couldn’t this shit just have killed me outright instead of dragging it out like this
I have never been so scared or so tired
This is the worst I have felt in years, maybe ever
If WW3 happens, I hope a Chinese nuke vaporizes me
I’m so sorry for making you read this. I feel so helpless and alone. Is this shit even okay to post? Should I delete it?
I’m going to sleep
Edit: I failed to sleep yet but thank you so much to those that replied or read. It helped a bit to vent
very okay to post, doubly so under a spoiler tag.
I’m not sure what you mean by melting eyes (no need to explain if you don’t want!), but I hope you receive a clear diagnosis soon and that it’s not too serious!
