The Politics of the Aftermath: On the Sequels to Police Violence

Abstract: The killing of an adolescent by a police officer near Paris in 2023 sparked major protests and brutal repression in France. As the production or justification of such police violence has been much studied, this article investigates what follows the violence and contributes to its reproduction—the politics of the aftermath. The mechanics of normalization of misconduct by officers, their institutions, and the state involve collateral practices that have received little attention despite their crucial role. Emphasis is on forgery and perjury, praising perpetrators and blaming victims, crackdown on protests, and condoning or denying police brutality. In a context of growing authoritarianism, the police appear to be both a state within a state and the armed wing of the state.