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Riot-torn France faces "moment of truth" - Villepin
Reuters - UK ^ | Tue Nov 8, 2005 5:00 PM GMT | Timothy Heritage

Posted on 11/08/2005 12:04:12 PM PST by NewMediaFan

PARIS (Reuters) - France is wounded and faces a moment of truth, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said on Tuesday, after his government approved the use of curfews to quell 12 nights of rioting.

The protests, blamed on racism and unemployment in rundown suburbs, receded in the Paris region after shots were fired at police the previous night but continued unabated in other parts of France in the early hours of Tuesday, with youths torching more than 1,000 vehicles overnight.

"The Republic faces a moment of truth ... France is wounded. It cannot recognise itself in its streets and devastated areas, in these outbursts of hatred and violence which destroy and kill," Villepin told the lower house of parliament.

"A return to order is the absolute priority. The government has shown this. It will take all the steps necessary to ensure the protection of our citizens and to restore calm ... We see these events as a warning and as an appeal."

Five cars were torched in Brussels in what officials say could have been copycat attacks, but the rioting did not spread across the border. Even so, fears of riots erupting in other countries helped push down the value of the euro.

Villepin's conservative government adopted a decree at an emergency session under a 1955 law that allows regional government officials known as prefects to impose curfews if they consider it necessary.

The decree was due to take effect at 11 p.m. British time, after the Interior Ministry decides where prefects can impose curfews not widely seen here since the Algerian war of 1954-1962.

Villepin said 1,500 police would be brought in to back up the 8,000 officers already deployed in areas hit by unrest involving poor white youths as well as French-born citizens of Arab ....

(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: france; insurgency; intifada; jihad; ouijad; parisriots; paristine; quagmire; surrender; terrorism; uprising; youths
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To: LikeLight

I want to know if the "youths" were yelling any kind of slogans, such as "white power" or "down with Mexicans", or even "Allahu Akbar".


101 posted on 11/08/2005 3:59:23 PM PST by little jeremiah
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Comment #102 Removed by Moderator

To: dead

If only they had Midnight Basketball.


103 posted on 11/08/2005 5:59:40 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: TheCrusader

Fear not. The Germans will rise to their brutal nature soon. Germans do not like instability. The French will ask for German help and before too much longer. Germans will be only too willing to make France once more their puppet in order to stabilize Europe. Eurabia is not likely once the Germans rise to their ancient heritage.


104 posted on 11/08/2005 6:25:46 PM PST by Goreknowshowtocheat
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To: NewMediaFan

What was the quote? "france hates us and we hate france!!" Sometimes I feel sad, but then I think of all the real estate that will be opened up after the war.


105 posted on 11/08/2005 6:27:43 PM PST by Porterville (Pray for War- Spanish by birth, American by the Grace of God!!!)
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To: Goreknowshowtocheat
"Fear not. The Germans will rise to their brutal nature soon----The French will ask for German help----Eurabia is not likely once the Germans rise to their ancient heritage."

If this happens I agree. We all know how the Germans can fight. But I think they have had so much collective guilt dumped on them by the entire world that they've become paralyzed by it and have become wussy, like France. I hope you're right though, time will tell.

106 posted on 11/08/2005 10:01:15 PM PST by TheCrusader ("The frenzy of the Mohammedans has devastated the churches of God" -Pope Urban II, 1097AD)
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