Posted on 01/04/2006 6:19:14 PM PST by blam
French Riviera gang terrorises passengers in two-hour train rampage
By Colin Randall
(Filed: 05/01/2006)
Hundreds of passengers were terrorised by a mob of youths rampaging through a train on the French Riviera.
One young woman was sexually assaulted, travellers were robbed of phones and cash, and carriages were wrecked in the two-hour assault, it emerged yesterday.
Up to 40 youths involved in the attacks had taken advantage of a special fare of about 80p to travel from Marseilles and Avignon to celebrate the New Year in Nice.
They were part of a larger group of 100, many drunk from their overnight festivities and escorted by police to Nice station for their return journey at dawn on Sunday.
A small police team accompanied the Lyons-bound train at first. But trouble broke out soon after their departure.
Eventually the driver stopped the train at Les Arc-sur-Argens to appeal for extra police assistance. Only three officers turned up and violence continued as they awaited reinforcements before boarding the train. The line was blocked for an hour and a half as police gained control of the train.
Passengers spoke of being warned they would be killed if they refused to hand over belongings or told police what had happened.
They said they were too frightened to intervene and several refused to lodge complaints of theft or assault.
"It was a real scene of pillage on the train," the regional prosecutor, Dominique Luiggi, said yesterday as details emerged. "Passengers were in a state of panic."
One witness said there had already been assaults and threats, including other indecent attacks on young women, on Saturday's outward journey.
He said the robbers were of Arab origin and had boasted about their plans to cause more trouble on the train.
President Jacques Chirac promised yesterday to bring the gang to justice. He said those responsible would be "found and punished".
France's Le Parisien newspaper likened the youths to the gang in the film Clockwork Orange.
A 2 month vacation.
Inspector Jacques Clouseau departed the train too early but weren't any Todd Beamers aboard to protect the women folk? Have all Frenchmen gone Metro-sexual?
**So why didn't the French "men" on the train protect their women?**
They were too busy "Oui Ouiing" in their pants.
I regularly change planes at Charles De Gaulle airport on my way to eastern Europe. It always seems to me that the counter personnel are the only European looking (i.e. French) people working at the airport. The shuttle buses are all manned and womaned by non-Europeans, and of course the toilet attendants.
So why didn't the French "men" on the train protect their women? Were they waiting for the US to come save them? Again?
A very significant question. I hope people will address it seriously.
Jim
President Bill Clinton said the same sort of words when we were hit repeatedly by terrorist and he was correct although he did not know it. A new President came into office who would fulfill his predecessors promise. Perhaps the same fate awaits Chirac.
)
These events remind me of a Michael Haneke film CODE INCONNU (2000), where two Muslim youths torment Juliette Binoche on a subway. The older man sitting next to her eventually stands up to them and they get off the subway.
It is scary to imagine them multiplied by 50.
I can only say that if la femme was Irene Jacob (okay, Swiss/Fench, I admit) then I would do ~everything~ in my aged and limited ability to defend her!
Perhaps the Frenchmen were the women, mai oui? Too much la cage aux folles? Profound sadness at Sen Kerrys lost election?
The men could have hit the thugs with their white flag.
Marseilles is a northern 'burb of Algiers nowadays.
Why didnt the police arrest some of these folks on the spot?
God help us that we don't turn out like this.
"haven't been back to France since the 1970's and apparently there isn't much to go back to, sadly"
It's not just France. A Dutch friend who has been living in the US for 30 years recently went back to the Netherlands for a visit with her daughter, son-in -law and grandchildren. She said she would NEVER return there because it was a different country that was taken over by muslims.
Is there any place in the world where the muslims aren't trying to take over??
I believe that we need to think proactively about what protocols we should should put in place if we should ever adopt this excellent device. E.G., should the removal of baseball caps be required before the coup?
Those top hats are a nice touch, don't you think?
"Throw Mohomma From The Train."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.