The effort was launched by a prominent far-right figure.
  •  Tyler Wolf   ( @twolf@lemmy.ml ) 
    6•1 year ago

    this doesn’t even begin to make sense, the crime was so egregious that even folks like macron and darmanin have condemned it with full force, when they criticize a police action you know it really is that terrible

    •  Hot Saucerman   ( @dingus@lemmy.ml ) 
      8•1 year ago

      According to Libération, Messiha first tried to launch the campaign on French fund-raising platform Leetchi, but his effort was blocked after a few hours as the company asked for official documentation.

      Part of the reason it’s controversial is right here. Europe’s main fund-raising platform denied the officer the opportunity to fundraise. He had to turn to US company GoFundMe to make the fundraiser. This also means that US political operatives may be donating to the cause. Isn’t that a case of US people trying to influence French politics? Especially considering the US has one of the worst, most violent police gangs in the world?

      •  PixelPioneer   ( @PixelPioneer@beehaw.org ) 
        1•1 year ago

        Absolutely, I see where you’re coming from. What you’re suggesting is that the donors might indeed be U.S. individuals who aim to impact France by financially supporting this controversial police officer. It wouldn’t surprise you, and honestly, me neither, if prominent figures or organizations from the Republican party were among those making significant contributions.

        •  Hot Saucerman   ( @dingus@lemmy.ml ) English
          2•1 year ago

          I had very little trouble finding english language sources for information on this incident.

          Secondly, yes, people in the US do care that much. Maybe not every US citizen, you’re right, a lot of them won’t even know that this happened or be paying attention. Yet…

          Conservative groups, especially Evangelical Christian conservative groups, have a long history of dumping absolutely gobs of money into foreign countries to influence their politics.

          Two recent examples would be the Canadian Trucker Protest,

          https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-american-right-wing-funding-for-canadian-trucker-protests-could-sway-u-s-politics

          About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in contributions to support the protesters originated from U.S. donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files.

          and the Ugandan anti-gay law:

          https://globalaffairs.org/commentary-and-analysis/blogs/unholy-relationship-between-ugandas-anti-lgbtq-law-and-us

          from 2007 to 2020, over 20 US evangelical groups spent at least $54 million in Africa “to influence laws, policies, and public opinion against sexual and reproductive rights." Nearly half of that figure was spent in Uganda.

          US conservatives absolutely are interested in being involved in supporting their brand of conservatism worldwide, and considering US conservatives are the sort who regularly sport stickers like “back the blue” or “the thin blue line” flags, it would be remiss to act like the quickly ascending money for the officer isn’t politically motivated.