In France, Alienation Is a Two-Way Street

LATIMES ^ | 11/13/05 | Sebastian Rotella

[Pikamax]

In France, Alienation Is a Two-Way Street A paramilitary police system in which officers feel like foreigners in the communities they patrol helped set the stage for the riots, critics say.

By Sebastian Rotella, Times Staff Writer

MELUN, France — Capt. Eric Peterle emerged from the fray on a recent night carrying a heavy grate about the size of his head.

An hour earlier, a rioter had torn the grate from the drain of an apartment building and hurled it at the riot squad commander. When Peterle returned to headquarters, the object in his brawny hand became evidence — of a crime and of the nihilistic fury of France's worst riots in decades.

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Peterle's unit first saw action in the epicenter of the unrest, the grim gangways of housing projects in Clichy-sous-Bois near Paris. Later, it redeployed about 30 miles south to this seemingly tranquil, stone-walled town where metropolitan sprawl ends in meadows. In both places, rioters bombarded the unit with rocks, bricks and Molotov cocktails — and even shopping carts and the wreckage of a telephone booth.

"Luckily, the guy who threw this thing missed," said Peterle, a 42-year-old with close-cropped hair and an armor-plated build forged in 17 years of close-quarters combat.

While the anti-riot officers brawled in the glare of flames and cameras, officers of the national police intelligence division led the shadow war.

In a discreet headquarters near Paris last week, rumpled and unshaven officers in jeans, sweaters and scarves worked a legion of informants. There was a barrage of tips and rumors: firebombs stockpiled in a basement, arsonists scheming hit-and-run incursions far from the riot zones, Islamic fundamentalists keeping a mysteriously low profile.

[Pikamax]

"Even before the riots, an average of 3,500 cars a month were burned nationwide."

well that is an interesting little tidbit..

[asp1]

I wonder what car insurance costs over there?

[EagleUSA]

How long before the French sign a surrender??? Should not be too long. The cowardly French have no idea how to protect their country -- they had better start handing out white flags to the so-called police.

[dr_who_2]

Yes, reforms can be instituted. More movie theaters! Just make sure that they don't play cheezy movies, or they'll start rioting again. I wonder if the LA Times has an experience with "community policing". France is on the slow road to hell.

[LurkedLongEnough]

[French police] rookies find themselves stuck in a harrowing job in an expensive region. They are often scared and bewildered by the mosaic of cultures in the projects: African women in colorful tribal robes, aging bearded Algerians in Islamic garb, defiant second- and third-generation youths in hip-hop regalia.

Sounds like New York City.

Accentuating French racism won't help.

[jocon307]

An article pretty sympathetic to the Police, pretty amazing from the LA Times.

If anyone has problems accessing the second page, I was asked for registration info, click the "single page" option, it will allow you to read the whole piece.

[kingu]

A few more weeks, and I might actually consider purchasing a copy of that newspaper. It is almost like management is committed to make it less like a radical college rag.

[Lorianne]

"One day, millions of men will leave the Southern Hemisphere to go to the Northern Hemisphere. And they will not go there as friends, because they will go there to conquer it. The wombs of our women will give us victory".

__Former Algerian President Houari Boumedienne in a 1974 UN speech..

[Dark Skies]

The information flows fast — on Fridays, commanders in one big city have on their desk by afternoon the content of sermons from noon prayers at every known mosque in their region.

Very interesting.

[JasonC]

Nah, anybody whining about how they can't win can always expect sympathetic coverage from commies.

Personally, I'm alienated by all these pussyfooters. Does that count? lol.

[Publius6961]

I wonder what car insurance costs over there?

You don't want to know.
In addition, losing one's driver's license permanently is quite common in France, and particularly Paris.
As you might suspect, this has zero effect on criminals who have nothing to lose; not even their entire means of survival, courtesy of the taxpayer, for doing nothing.

[Publius6961]

Their methods are a curious mix of open and covert. They use a vast network of wiretaps. They cultivate informants by offering legal favors, money, immigration papers. The information flows fast — on Fridays, commanders in one big city have on their desk by afternoon the content of sermons from noon prayers at every known mosque in their region.

A most encouraging means of identifying the enemy, and admirable.

But pretty much useless unless clear, uncompromising and swift steps are taken to eliminate the rabble rousers in the mosques, once identified.

I hope even the French can see the difference between "freedom of speech" and treason or sedition, particularly by foreign nationals.

[backhoe]

Is Paris Burning? ( Religion of Peace® Alert )
Click the picture:

Islam, The Alleged Religion of Peace® ( TARP™ )? Click this picture:

No, I am not exaggerating. Click the pic, go to "last," and read backwards.
If you are not informed about this stuff, you will be made sick. If you are informed, you will be made mad, all over again.

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Then, correlate with some of our own problems:

For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:

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Note tagline...

[asp1]

Wow, and I thought Florida was bad! LOL!