Thousands of Algerians took to the streets of Paris to protest against the French government's brutal tactics in the Algerian War of Independence. As the conflict raged on, widespread support for the Algerian cause emerged among expatriates and sympathizers in France. The peaceful demonstration on the evening of 17 October 1961 was met with a violent crackdown orchestrated by Maurice Papon, the Paris police chief who had been a key figure in the French colonial administration. Police units used force to disperse demonstrators, resorting to methods including beatings, arbitrary arrests, and extensive deployment of riot control tactics. Reports later indicated that the police beat protesters, pushing many into the Seine River where they drowned in the ensuing chaos. Some estimates suggest that dozens, if not hundreds, of protesters lost their lives that night, but the exact number remains uncertain amidst government attempts to suppress the story.

The brutality of the police was not only a shocking display of state power but also came amidst a broader context of rising tensions concerning France's colonial pursuits. The Algerian War, which had begun in 1954, was marked by increasing violence and the struggle for Algerian independence, which created a fervor among the Algerian diaspora in France. This protest was a response to ongoing abuses and an attempt to garner global attention for their plight. The event was further complicated by the actions of French society, which remained largely unaware or indifferent to the struggles of Algerians, revealing deep-seated racism and colonial attitudes prevalent within the population. As accounts of the violence spread, it became a moment that would frame discussions on race, colonialism, and civil rights in France for years to come.