Prisoners from October 17 protests issue open letter against state repression

Prisoners detained following the protests of October 17, 2026, have issued an open letter describing themselves as a diverse group of students, workers, and residents from across the Île-de-France region. The letter, published by Autonomies, frames their incarceration as a direct result of political interference in the judicial system. This development follows a period of intensified repression against the ongoing movement.

Judicial interference and prison conditions

According to Autonomies, the letter was written by individuals held in an undisclosed prison in the Île-de-France region to avoid reprisals from judicial and prison authorities. The authors state they represent a wide demographic, including students, teachers, the unemployed, small business owners, delivery drivers, and people from various neighbourhoods such as Bobigny, Belleville, Montreuil, and Seine-Saint-Denis. They describe themselves as a group spanning all ages, nationalities, and ethnicities.

The prisoners claim that Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin flouted the separation of powers by ordering the judiciary to hand down the harshest possible sentences to those arrested during the protests. The letter asserts that the courts "bowed to Macron’s orders" and sent protesters to jail, regardless of whether the accusations of looting, illegal assembly, or violence against law enforcement were "rightly or wrongly" applied.

The authors also report that the surge in incarcerations has left prisons increasingly unsanitary and overcrowded. They argue that the judicial system is not an independent institution, particularly when the state and the bourgeoisie feel threatened.

Resistance against ideological offensive

In their letter, the detainees describe their imprisonment as a way for the state to attempt to break the movement and dissuade people from participating in future protests. They report that while in prison, they are exposed to an "ideological offensive" via television channels such as BFMTV and CNEWS, which they claim support repressive policies.

The prisoners reject attempts by media and authorities to categorise them as "vandals, looters, thugs, or far-left extremists." Instead, they claim to be united by anger and a desire for revolution. They argue that the inability of media outlets to define a "typical profile" of the insurgents is because the protesters represent "the people who have risen up."

In our assessment, the letter functions as more than a plea for better conditions; it is a political tool designed to transform the experience of incarceration into a site of resistance. By framing their diverse backgrounds as a unified revolutionary force, the prisoners attempt to counter the state's efforts to isolate and criminalise them.

The letter concludes by positioning the October 17 actions as a "revolutionary warning" that the state is now attempting to silence through repression. The authors express a desire for a revolution that would allow the people to "breathe."

This piece was generated automatically by an AI model from the sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a human editor.

Sources

• Open letter from the prisoners of October 17, 2026 — Autonomies
• Headlines for October 28, 2026 — Democracy Now!