To French civil-rights groups, the deaths seemed a sinister omen, coming just a week after a new conservative government took office. Many right-wing candidates had campaigned on a law-and-order platform that usually mentioned crime and immigrants in the same breath. The new interior minister Charles Pasqua, established a reputation for being tough on immigrants during his previous tenure from 1986 to 1988. Some police advocates argue that the problem is not racism; they cite low police morale and stressful working conditions. “We did not receive a hunting license or a message to toughen up from the new interior minister,” said Paul-Henri Sanchez, head of a right-wing police union. Late in the week, the officers involved in the two shootings were indicted and Pasqua met with the father of one victim and a civil-rights leader. But he reaffirmed that the government would I ‘support the forces of order.
