French press review 11 January 2013

Two topics stand out in today's French press.

Firstly, there is the murder or execution of three Turkish activists in Paris.

Left leaning Libération is headlining "The Mysteries of an execution" and ponders as to weather this is an internal feud in the PKK (a Kurdish separatist movement) or dirty work from Turkey?

The article goes on to describe the secret PKK offices in Paris's 10th arrondissement and the weapons used to kill the victims "execution-style". Libération notes that the women were unknown to police services but that in 2011, 18 members of the PKK had been sentenced by a court in Paris for embezzlement. It writes that inter-PKK feuding was not new but that it had never reached this level in Paris.

Libé also asks were these women killed in the hope of sabotaging negotiations between Ankara and PKK leaders?

Tabloid Aujourd'hui en France looks at the wave of indignation brought about by the killing. The paper has gone for a more graphic description of the murder scene: triple assassination which French President François Hollande described as horrible.

It also reports on the Kurdish demonstration that took place outside the building in which the three women were murdered. They are were hailed as martyrs by the 100s of men present, (there were only a few women). “We are persecuted in our own country.” "Turkey is carrying out killings and Hollande is an accomplice" were some of the chants that could be heard, writes the paper.

The other big story on the front page of France's daily papers is the one about gay marriage and those protesting against it. A few weeks ago people in France took to the streets to call for people to be able to get married regardless of their sexual orientation. Well this weekend in France another bunch of people will take to the streets to protest against a proposed law to allow same sex marriages.

Catholic La Croix notes that opponents of "marriage for all" are tightening their ranks. It says that the demonstration against same sex couples marrying or adopting is being organised by a collective of numerous and diverse organisations.

The paper's editorial looks at what it calls "the absent debate". It says that it's impossible to tell what kind of people march in favour or against gay marriage. Obviously the catholic community will be very present but La Croix notes that when it comes to issues like adoption or assisted pregnancies many people are not entirely sure and this doesn't necessarily have to do with religion.

It says that some of the people who will be marching will really be there to disagree with the French government. But the people protesting against this won't just be from one end of the political spectrum or one age group. Therefore traditional political lines are irrelevant when it comes to this debate.

La Croix's editorial finally notes that medical assistance when it comes to procreation has barely been debated, which is perhaps why so many people are eager to take to the street this weekend.

Le Figaro features an article full of charts which shows that actually a majority of French people are in favour of gay marriage, 55 per cent are against adoption rights for gay couples and 63 per cent are against gay couples having access to medical assistance in order to procreate.

According to Le Figaro, French people overseas are also going to be marching but they are few and far between. They include French people in places like London, Belgium, Libreville in Gabon and of course the French West Indies.

Le Figaro magazine, the supplement of today's newspaper, has an article entitled "Family, the great mobilisation" and features interviews with people who are saying "no" to homosexual marriage.

Obviously there are the people you'd expect to be against marriage but there is also a gay man who says that he finds the law homophobic as it comes at time when marriage no longer has the same value or importance it did decades ago and because it doesn't accept the reality of what a gay relationship is about. This former professor turned blogger has taken the year off to hit the French roads to attend the meetings held by churches that are against gay marriage. It takes all sorts...