Riots Erupt in French City Centre

BBC UK ^ | 12 Nov 2005 | BBC News

[timsbella]

Police in the French city of Lyon have fired tear gas to break up groups of youths who hurled stones and bins hours before a curfew was due to begin.

Police on the city's famous Place Bellecour square made two arrests in what state news agency AFP says is the first rioting in a major city centre.

[HardStarboard]

>>>bins? what are those?<<<

Dumpsters.......I guess!

[American Quilter]

The Democrats demand that order be restored in France so that they have some place to threaten to move to.

LOL! Good one.

[AFPhys]

A few days ago, I looked up the history of the French flag. It wasn't always "the tricolor"... Here's part of the rest of the story:

---

History of French Flags... (excerpts)

[ From http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr~mon.html#pwe ]

Ensigns of the King's vessels

White ensign

by Pierre Gay

[ I had to put a non-existant border around it to make it show up... AFPhys ]

This flag is shown on Danckert's flag chart [ca.1700] [dan05], as #82, labelled 'Franse Witte Vlag' - French white flag.

---

[ From http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr_mon.html  about France Flag history ]

... Anyway, Dauphin Charles had to find an emblem of his own. In 1422, when Charles VI died, he became Charles VII, adopted a white cross as emblem and a white flag as banner. Joan of Arc's famous banner was white with religious figures embroidered on it. Thereafter the three parties to the civil wars of 1420-36 are distinguished by the cross: white for the French, red for the English and red saltire for the Burgundians.

The white flag itself was the flag of commanding officers, such as colonel generals, and later colonels. In particular, it was the flag of the kKing when he was with the troops. ......

---

[ From http://www.acadian.org/flags.html ]

French [flag with fleur-de-lis shown here. The fleur-de-lis were optional]

Prior to the French Revolution, there was no national flag which represented France. A variety of flags were used by troops, different types of ships and for other purposes. From 1590-1790 this flag is one of four that was used on warships and fortresses. The plain white flag, known as the Bourbon Banner, and this white flag with three golden fleurs-de-lis, a white flag with many fleurs-de-lis, or a white flag with many fleurs-de-lis with the arms of France in the center. The simpler designs such as this were used in ordinary circumstances and it is believed that the [simply] white flag of France flew over all or most of the French forts and settlements in America.

---

I don't think I have much more to add to this little bit of history.

Perhaps this all 'splains itself...

No wonder the frogs have such trouble with things like VICTORY ... It's buried more deeply in their psyches than I realized.

[dighton]

Sean Delonas of the NY Post. He's good.

[Stellar Dendrite]

"Aren't they Islamic Freedom Fighters? If France is a racist country that warehouses these people in ghettos, then aren't they fighting for their freedom... By torching one car at a time."

Yes, yes yes...PERFECT!!! Freedom fighters!

[mikrofon]

Oh, some are bin-lobbin', too...

[American Quilter]

...Gen. Peter Pace, warned the President that it might be necessary to send up to 5 Marines to get things under control.

LOL!

[daviscupper]

I know exactly what you mean. How do you feel sorry for lying, treasonous, cowardly, arrogant, slimy, unctuous, perverted, weasel-like surrender monkeys? That is a tall order. If you figure it out let me know how you did it. I seemed to have lost all sense of compassion for these people and I know deep down that is a bad thing -- I think!

[American Quilter]

Evening from a very rainy Kent, England.

I'll bet it's pretty there. I'm writing from droughty Colorado. I've forgotten what real rain looks like.

[PAR35]

Paris, Lyon, Sens, Noyon, Reims, Avignon, Toulouse...

Brussels, Berlin, Bremen....

[American Quilter]

Yeah, I guess we'll never know why Berger stole the documents.

Unless he can't resist writing a book to brag about his heroic service to his president.

[Menehune56]

A Minitel?

[1066AD]

Think smaller.

Trashcans.

[R.W.Ratikal]

President Jack Chriq has proved to be so inept that he could qualify to run against Ray Nagin in New Orleans.

Chriq's handling of the riots have insured that France will not lapse into a state of benevolent anarchy. Germany is next, then Britain. President Bush, call your office.

[R.W.Ratikal]

President Jack Chriq has proved to be so inept that he could qualify to run against Ray Nagin in New Orleans.

Chriq's handling of the riots have insured that France will not lapse into a state of benevolent anarchy. Germany is next, then Britain. President Bush, call your office.

[bboop]

Does anyone know about Toulouse? I hear the street signs there are in two languages -- the second being? It is not Arabic, I was told. Not Basque either.

[cake_crumb]

"The white flag itself was the flag of commanding officers, such as colonel generals, and later colonels. In particular, it was the flag of the kKing when he was with the troops. ......"

Snicker...still is. I liked the one that had the chicken on it though. Still looking for an image.

[Earthdweller]

Old france is for all intents and purposes gone if civil war breaks out. I keep thinking about the french nukes in the hands of islamic extremists....

[Earthdweller]

"I hear the street signs there are in two languages -- the second being? "

Spanish..it is near the border with Spain.

[bboop]

Haha, really? My friend, a scientist, travels there for work. I would think he'd recognize Spanish. I would think Basque. ah well,