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 ...
I assume that "moment of truth" is just a code phrase for "wave the white flag."
by those purposefully trying to avoid the words "muslim" or "islamic".
What's the work week in France? 30 hours? Does that 30 hour limit per week apply to riot police? Inquiring minds, and all that...
It's 9:10 pm in Paris right now.
defcon threat level has been elevated from 'run' to 'hide'
Looks like a typical backyard in East Tenneesee.
Blaming it on racism and unemployment? It's an Intifada plain and simple!!!
Notice this article referred to "France's conservative government"? An article on Fox commented how DeV said he was sorry police tear gas landed near a mosque. Perfect example of appeasement. Instead of saying stop or we will shoot every last one of you, France says "I am sorry".
" What to do? Retreat? Surrender? Collaborate? Holocaust? Mes amis, theese eese a moment of truth."
I just read in another article that Les Frogs are threatening to jail the "youths" for UP TO TWO WHOLE MONTHS!! Now if that doesn't scare unemployed bomb-throwers then I don't know what will!
http://no-pasaran.blogspot.com/
Less than 30 minutes ago...
French radio reports a direct confrontation with riot police in Toulouse charging into a group of 50 rioters who were throwing rocks and molotov cocktails. A curfew should be announced shortly and Sarkozy will be in the city later tonight. Stay tuned.
Nothing conservative about either the DeGaullists or the Socialists!
Maybe they can invite Cindy Sheehan over there and have a die in to protest Iraq. Then the French can REALLY show their support for the protesters (and maybe the protesters will go home.) Or maybe they could sell ribbons and have a candle lit march in an area where there are no rioters (if there are any places left.) When are they going to call on the UN to make sanctions against the rioters?
Come on! Let's pull out all the stops on typical lefty solutions to awful problems.
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