Chirac invokes war law to curb riots

Telegraph ^ | November 9, 2005 | Colin Randall

[Crackingham]

The French government yesterday pinned its hopes of ending nearly two weeks of rioting on a range of sweeping emergency powers allowing for curfews, house arrest and police raids without warrants. President Jacques Chirac, who has been accused of indecision and lack of leadership, invoked a 50-year-old law dating from the Algerian war of independence in his belated gamble on a tough response to the unrest.

The emergency powers authorised in a crisis session of the cabinet took effect at midnight and were available to local officials to impose on the estates of Paris and provincial towns and cities where violence has flared.

In Amiens, the first city to make use of the powers, officials announced a curfew banning unaccompanied under 16-year-olds from the streets between 10pm and 6am. Orleans and Savigny-sur-Orge followed suit.

Opponents of the government reacted angrily, claiming that the initiative sent a "message of war" to young people in poor suburbs. But ministers and public opinion had been shocked by 12 successive nights of disorder, spreading from Parisian suburbs to almost every region. Nearly 6,000 vehicles had already been set on fire by the time Mr Chirac sat down with his cabinet.

One man has died, scores of police officers and rescue workers have been hurt and police have made more than 1,500 arrests, including children as young as 11. Police said yesterday that 1,173 vehicles had been destroyed in overnight arson attacks. Although the total was 200 down on the worst night of rioting so far, Sunday, the reduction was hardly enough to suggest that the trouble was about to end.

Last night trouble broke out when youths threw petrol bombs at police and set cars ablaze in Toulouse. It happened just as Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister and a hated figure among many immigrant families after calling troublemakers "scum", was due to meet police in the city. He said that the use of the emergency law reflected the government's resolve to act with firmness.

Under the emergency powers, meetings can be banned, suspects can be excluded from defined areas and house arrest warrants can be ordered against anyone considered a threat to public order.

[rod1]

Ah Chirac, the war monger. W showed his real metal and was so restrained in not taking the opportunity to accuse Jacques of "turning to the War Option as a first resort". Amazingly ironic. (Guess that is what separates real leadership from the Kennedys, Kerrys, Gores, Clintons and Chiracs.

Surely it is about time for some more poetry or philosophical readings from the ever effective De Villipan. Just steer clear of a Rushdie reading.

[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.

---

Kindly note tagline...

[samtheman]

emergency powers allowing for curfews, house arrest and police raids without warrants

Is there a FCLU?

[proud American in Canada]

And on yesterday's live thread, I believe it was LL who reported that on French radio, a mayor of a French city said that gangs of "youths" were dragging women by their hair and throwing stones at them, and throwing Molotov cocktails into people's houses.

Then the state-run radio quickly went to some other story.

[LikeLight]

Here's quick rundown of last night's Muslim insurrection (note last item especially) from

http://no-pasaran.blogspot.com/2005/11/muslim-urban-guerilla-tuesday-night.html

Nine buses were torched in a garage in Dole. 80 residents were evacuated from an adjacent bulding.

In Grasse, the offices of the Nice-Matin newspaper suffered important damage after being targeted by arsonists. 4 rioters were seen fleeing the scene.

In Arras, 2 large stores were looted and burned (But and St Maclou). Over 10,000 square meters were lost to the flames.

In Lyon, Russian journalists were attacked by rioters and their vehicle was damaged. All Lyon subway traffic was halted Tuesday evening when a fire bomb was discovered next to a train.

In Bassens (a Bordeaux suburb), a bus was stoned, set alight, and exploded.

In Nice, a 53 year old man walking through the Moulins neighborhood was hit on the head by a dumbbell thrown from the 15th floor of a building. He is in critical condition.

[gitmogrunt]

The French should be bombed by NATO, just like the Serbs, for genocide of innocent peace loving muslims.

Sarcsam/Off

[Piquaboy]

Why don't they just save a lot of burned cars and wave the white flag? They have a lot of experience doing that.

[little jeremiah]

I remember that.

[lotsaguns]