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A country in flames… French cities teeter on the edge of anarchy
Telegraph ^ | 11/06/05 | Kim Willsher

Posted on 11/05/2005 4:38:33 PM PST by Pikamax

A country in flames… French cities teeter on the edge of anarchy By Kim Willsher in Clichy-sous-Bois, Paris (Filed: 06/11/2005)

In pictures: Paris burns after week of rioting

Gangs of youths were once again on the rampage across France last night as the guerilla warfare, which has engulfed a string of Paris suburbs for more than a week, took hold in cities throughout the country.

Firemen battle a warehouse fire in Aubervilliers

Rioters played cat-and-mouse with the police, swooping to set fire to buses, public buildings, shops, factories and in one case a crèche before disappearing, leaving a trail of destruction.

Yesterday, after a ninth consecutive night in which rioters boasted they had made parts of France "like Baghdad", more than 750 cars had been set ablaze, the highest tally on a single night so far.

Police arrested 203 people including a 10-year-old boy, who was caught clutching a bottle of petrol.

Over the past 10 days riots, arson attacks and violent clashes have spread from the notorious banlieues of Paris - the grim housing estates that are home to many of the country's large North African immigrant community - to the rest of the country.

Yesterday officials reported incidents erupting from Rennes in the west, to Toulouse in the south and Strasbourg in the east.

Despite a string of emergency meetings and the drafting of 1,500 members of the CRS riot squads into the Paris suburbs, police and politicians have failed to control the worst violence the city has experienced since the riots of May 1968.

In the early hours of yesterday, gangs of youths threw blazing rubbish bins across the streets and set fire to cars, many of which belonged to their own neighbours.

The acrid smell of burning rubber and refuse filled the air and plumes of flames shot skywards, their orange glow illuminating the grim high-rise blocks, which have become France's 21st century ghettos.

A burnt van in Aulnay-sous-Bois, north-east of Paris

Above one desolate street on the outskirts of Paris, a helicopter clattered but firefighters were forced to watch helplessly as a car burnt itself out. Any attempt to approach it resulted in a terrifying hail of stones, Molotov cocktails and other missiles.

Elsewhere in France, fire officers were pelted with metal petanque balls, car batteries and even cooking pots.

The commander of Paris's 14th Fire Brigade, Captain Sébastian Lamoureux, said his force had adopted tactics learnt from its counterpart in Northern Ireland and launched their rarely used "Urban Trouble" plan.

Fire engines had been ordered not to leave their station without a support vehicle and a police escort, he said.

"We don't get involved unless there's a danger of the fire spreading. Otherwise we leave the vehicle or the rubbish bin to burn itself out."

The renewed violence erupted hours after Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, repeated calls for calm and summoned young representatives from the Paris suburbs to his office for talks.

"I think he appreciated meeting us and learnt something. It was a good initiative for him to take," said Anyss Arbib, one of the representatives.

"There needs to be better relations and communications between the police and the people in the banlieues."

Residents pass a burned car in Aulnay-sous-Bois

The first violence was triggered after a routine police patrol in the district of Chêne-Pointu in Clichy-sous-Bois, north-east Paris. The districts of Clichy are typical of the outer-Paris sink estates, which are home to many second and third generation immigrant families. The French Fifth Republic expects them to bury their own customs in the name of integration and consequently they have discovered there is more liberté, egalité and fraternité for some than others.

Across France some 751 neighbourhoods, housing around five million people, are classified as severely disadvantaged. In Clichy, less than 10 miles from the chic Champs Elysées, half the 28,000 population is under 25 and unemployment is more than double the national average of 10 per cent.

The incident which triggered France's most violent convulsion for almost 40 years began on the evening of October 27, as police officers approached a group of youths, most of North African descent, returning from a football match. Some of them panicked and ran.

"We all do it. You don't hang around and wait to be pushed around or arrested for nothing," said one Clichy teenager.

Terrified that the police were chasing them, which the officers have denied, three fled towards an electricity sub-station. Ignoring the danger signs, they scrambled over 10ft walls topped with three rows of barbed wire. Minutes later two of them, aged 15 and 17, were electrocuted and died. Miraculously the third survived, but was seriously burnt. As word of the tragedy spread, the anger and frustration never far below the surface of the banlieues erupted. Angry youngsters have pledged to keep fighting so their friends did not "die for nothing".

Many of them also blame the tough-talking interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, for making matters worse. He has described the rioters as "scum" and threatened to "hose down" the estates to get rid of them.

"He's disrespected us, which is a declaration of war," one young man told the Sunday Telegraph as he surveyed one of Clichy's housing estates that was dotted with piles of ash and broken glass. "Those guys, our friends, died for nothing and we're being dissed. Someone has to say sorry."

Since then politicians, social commentators and journalists have been picking over France's failure to integrate its burgeoning immigrant population.

"The Republic is not keeping its promise of liberty, equality and fraternity," thundered the respected sociologist, Michel Wieviorka, in the Libération newspaper. "Cultural identities are not sufficiently recognised and there is no longer any mediation between the inhabitants of these areas and the politicians. It's a total crisis."

Yet while the violence has dominated French media all week, most citizens are otherwise unaffected by the tumult - an indication of just how detached from mainstream French life those living on the troubled housing estates have become.

This weekend, even residents sympathetic to the rioters called for a halt to violence. One 30-year-old Moroccan, whose car had been torched by local youths, said: "Obviously I'm angry with the youths who are burning the cars of people living in their own area."

Yet many agree that Mr Sarkozy is partly to blame. The interior minister was unrepentant, however. "This minority of hooligans and assassins must not be confused with the immense majority of youngsters in the banlieues," he said. "I refuse to let these organised gangs make the law. The Republican state will not give in."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: france; frenchmuslims; parisriots
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To: Pikamax
Democracy --> Anarchy --> Monarchy!

Where do I sign up?

61 posted on 11/05/2005 8:26:17 PM PST by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
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To: montag813
The Euro is going to plunge 5% next week. Short the forex.

Soros and Buffett will lose a bundle.

Shame.

62 posted on 11/05/2005 8:27:17 PM PST by twntaipan (Tagline space for sale or rent.)
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To: JustAnotherOkie

Our libs won't understand this anymore than Cherac or Villipan understand it.


63 posted on 11/05/2005 8:33:18 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: twntaipan

If that's the case then let the riots continue and continue until they are both broke!


64 posted on 11/05/2005 8:38:06 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: Pikamax
"He's disrespected us, which is a declaration of war," one young man told the Sunday Telegraph as he surveyed one of Clichy's housing estates that was dotted with piles of ash and broken glass. "Those guys, our friends, died for nothing and we're being dissed. Someone has to say sorry."

The old "step on his corns, until he apologizes for puting his toes under your boot" trick.

Reminds of the song, Abdul, The Bulbul Emir"

"You have tread upon the toe of Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar."

65 posted on 11/05/2005 8:41:04 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Mohamophages of the world, unite! "Offended by offended (any other type?) Muslims since 9-11")
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To: Pikamax
[ Many of them also blame the tough-talking interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, for making matters worse. He has described the rioters as "scum" and threatened to "hose down" the estates to get rid of them. ]

A Frenchman acting tough is just an act...

66 posted on 11/05/2005 8:49:04 PM PST by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole..)
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To: Texas Songwriter

"Yutes?....Mista Gambini.....;What's a Yute"?

Aren't they those hut-like shelters?


67 posted on 11/05/2005 8:59:54 PM PST by hsalaw
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To: Pikamax
He's disrespected us, which is a declaration of war . . .Those guys, our friends, died for nothing and we're being dissed. Someone has to say sorry.

That wonderful Rap mentality, America's gift to the world.

68 posted on 11/05/2005 10:28:14 PM PST by jordan8
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To: Pikamax
The incident which triggered France's most violent convulsion for almost 40 years began on the evening of October 27, as police officers approached a group of youths, most of North African descent, returning from a football match. Some of them panicked and ran.

Was it here ?

( Note the link will not work with Netscape 7.x or earlier. )

This is an athletic field in Clichy-sous-bois with high-rises around it. You can see the horrible conditions of living, especially the trees.

This ( I think ) is the Renault dealership that got torched around night 7 - across the street from the big white thing on the corner. Note of course the adjacent high-rises. It's on the corner of Boulevard Marc Chagall and Rue Jacques Duclos. The big white thing is part of Z.I. ( Zone Industrial ) Les Mardelles.

This is the bus depot in Trappes where the 26 buses got burned. I'm very sure of this one because it's in the Z.I. des Bruyeres, which was identified in the French notices of the event. Again, note the adjacent high-rises, which in this case look like a real nice layout.

So, make of it what you will!

69 posted on 11/05/2005 10:37:53 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: Pittsburg Phil
Shoot to kill and deport what's left. what's the problem?

Squirrels have bigger balls than the French. Thats the problem.

70 posted on 11/05/2005 10:41:49 PM PST by Windsong (FighterPilot)
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To: DumpsterDiver
"Someone has to say sorry."

But of course. How else could one deal with one so pussified as to be scarred for life on account of dropping one's ice cream scoop on the sidewalk at age 3?

Fruits.

71 posted on 11/05/2005 10:44:30 PM PST by Windsong (FighterPilot)
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To: Pikamax

Our elected officials spew so much hate over the airways it is just a matter of time that things of this nature take place in our cities and towns.


72 posted on 11/05/2005 10:50:46 PM PST by Faith-Hope
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To: Windsong

yeah

the only thing the french have produced worth mentioning since napoleon is john kerry, he gave us a second Bush term.


73 posted on 11/05/2005 10:52:14 PM PST by Zrob (freedom without lies)
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To: Ursus arctos horribilis
Wake up Bush...

No chance there. He's importing 100,000 alien muslims yearly.
We're on the road to Paris.

Birth
Country
Legal USA Immigrants
2002
Muslim population percentage Estimated 2002 Muslim Legal Immigrants
Pakistan          9,415               97                9,133
Iran          7,230               99                7,158
India        50,228               14                7,032
Philippines        45,250               14                6,335
Nigeria          7,872               75                5,904
Ethiopia          6,635               65                4,313
Bangladesh          4,616               85                3,924
Egypt          3,348               94                3,147
Morocco          3,137               99                3,096
Turkey          3,029             100                3,023
Jordan          2,927               95                2,781
Albania          3,362               75                2,522
Russia        13,935               18                2,508
Somalia          2,444             100                2,444
Iraq          2,450               97                2,377
Lebanon          2,956               70                2,069
Syria          1,938               90                1,744
Indonesia          1,805               95                1,715
Sudan          1,883               85                1,601
Yemen          1,382               99                1,368
Ghana          4,410               30                1,323
Uzbekistan          1,445               88                1,272
Afghanistan          1,252             100                1,252
Guyana          6,809               15                1,021
Sierra Leone          1,492               65                   970
Kenya          3,209               30                   947
Algeria             759               99                   751
Niger             808               91                   735
Saudi Arabia             735             100                   735
Romania          3,655               20                   731
Azerbaijan             746               93                   697
Togo          1,187               55                   653
Kuwait             707               89                   629
Malaysia          1,200               52                   624
Serbia and Mont.          2,994               19                   569
Bulgaria          3,825               14                   536
Liberia          1,766               30                   530
Cameroon             927               55                   510
Senegal             522               95                   496
Eritrea             556               80                   445
Thailand          3,126               14                   438
Israel          2,741               14                   384
UAE             380               96                   365
Tanzania             554               65                   360
Tunisia             353               98                   346
Cote d'Ivoire             483               60                   290
Kyrgyzstan             356               76                   271
United Kingdom          9,527                3                   257
Macedonia             653               30                   196
Germany          5,064                3                   172
Canada        11,350                1                   168
France          2,375                7                   166
Uganda             455               36                   164
Libya             140             100                   140
Mauritania             131             100                   131
Guinea-Bissau             176               70                   123
Fiji          1,095               11                   120
Burma          1,193               10                   119
Tajikistan             137               85                   116
Sri Lanka          1,246                9                   112
Mali             124               90                   112
Singapore             582               17                    99
Nepal          2,095                4                    84
Georgia             735               11                    81
Oman              76             100                    76
Turkmenistan              84               87                    73
Qatar              72             100                    72
Argentina          3,129                2                    63
Japan          5,971                1                    60
Bahrain              59             100                    59
Zimbabwe             358               15                    54
Panama          1,164                4                    47
Suriname             180               25                    45
South Africa          2,210                2                    44
Zambia             280               15                    42
Cyprus             123               33                    41
Australia          1,836                2                    38
Brazil          6,331                1                    38
Hong Kong          3,574                1                    36
Sweden             963                4                    35
Burkina Faso              60               50                    30
Netherlands             981                3                    29
Guinea              29               95                    28
Cambodia          2,263                1                    23
Malawi              62               35                    22
Italy          1,644                1                    16
Djibouti              16               94                    15
Maldives              15             100                    15
Burundi              74               20                    15
Angola              59               25                    15
Croatia          1,153                1                    14
Brunei              20               63                    13
Benin              76               15                    11
Mauritius              57               20                    11
Mozambique              36               29                    10
Greece             651                2                    10
Madagascar              40               20                      8
Chad                8               85                      7
Mongolia             153                4                      6
Malta              37               14                      5
Norway             320                2                      5
Cen. African Rep.                6               55                      3
Comoros                3               86                      3
Swaziland              23               10                      2
Namibia              40                5                      2
Aruba              27                5                      1
Botswana              27                5                      1
United States              32                4                      1
Rwanda             109                1                      1
Bhutan              15                5                      1
Slovenia              64                1                      1
Reunion                3               20                      1
Lesotho                5               10                      1
TOTAL              95,577

74 posted on 11/05/2005 10:54:41 PM PST by dagnabbit (Vincente Fox's opening line at the Mexico-USA summit meeting: "Bring out the Gimp!")
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