France reacts to 'shockwave of riots'(Paris/France burns Live Thread Night #12)

Times of London ^ | 11/07/05 | Simon Freeman, Charles Bremner

[Dane]

French police made 395 arrests last night as riots intensified for the 11th consecutive night, with violence and fire engulfing towns from the North to the Mediterranean.

In the impoverished suburbs and satellite towns around Paris, where the unrest began on October 27, churches, schools and warehouses were set alight. At least 1,408 vehicles were destroyed, many more than on previous nights, and the random attacks have spread into the heart of the city.

In Grigny, south of the capital, a gang of around 200 youths are reported to have lured police into a housing estate before opening fire with hunting rifles. At least 30 officers were injured, two seriously with lead pellets in the legs and neck.

Riots broke out in beacons of disaffection across the country from Lille, on the border with Belgium, to Montpellier on the Mediterranean coast. In Toulouse, police used tear gas to disperse a mob. Cars were set alight on the streets of Nantes, Orleans, Rennes and Rouen, and youths in St Etienne forced passengers off a bus before burning it. Churches were set ablaze in northern Lens and southern Sete.

SNIP

In Strasbourg, youths stole a car and rammed it into a housing project, setting the vehicle and the building on fire. "We’ll stop when Sarkozy steps down," the defiant 17-year-old driver told an Associated Press reporter.

Police are calling for a night-time curfew in affected areas and some senior officers have demanded that troops are brought on to the streets.

Michel Gaudin, France's most senior police officer, said today: "We are witnessing a sort of shock wave that is spreading across the country."

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Someone else posted a 'pellet gun' quote. You sure there was a shotgun used?

[conservativecorner]

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of cheese eating surrender monkeys!

[Maceman]

"If we start shooting them, outside groups will start smuggling them weapons and then we're all screwed."

Like that won't happen anyway, as the riots are allowed go on night after night.

[nicmarlo]

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/default.asp?page=6

[starbase]

I must admit that at first I enjoyed this. I wanted the French to get thumped for betraying us these last few years, and also as come uppance given that I disagree with ALL their social policies.

However, I'm now starting to get worried. I was sure the old power would come out and defend itself. But what if there's really nothing left? What if they're just broken cowards?

Now I'm not having such a good feeling. I saw those 1000 silent marchers and I saw pussies and weaklings, more fearful that the danishes might not be fresh this morning than that their country is dead. This will change the Western World.

[Chanticleer]

rofl

[mware]

In Strasbourg, youths stole a car and rammed it into a housing project, setting the vehicle and the building on fire. "We’ll stop when Sarkozy steps down," the defiant 17-year-old driver told an Associated Press reporter

Well, France you have been given the surrender terms.

[nicmarlo]

France you have been given the surrender terms.

FNC read a letter from a Muslim in the area who said that "it will stop when 2 policment are dead."

[Dane]

Per Fox, first death being attributed to the riots. A 61 year old man checking his trash bin outside his aprtment, was beaten by the thugs and has died.

[mware]

I think it is about 2 PM in France right now.

[Aquinasfan]

churches, schools and warehouses were set alight.

Any mosques burned?

F'n MSM.

[LikeLight]

They are using shotguns on the police - being reported in the MSM as "bird shot" or "fine grained pellets" - which is correct in a twisted MSM "fake but accurate" kind of way - a spray of shotgun pellets at closer range will blow someone's head off . . .

French police holds a shotgun shell recovered after they were shot upon in Grigny, south of Paris on the 11th night of violence late November 6, 2005. France's urban riots reached a new peak in their 10th night as petrol bombings spread from Paris's run-down suburbs to the centre of the capital and began to unnerve neighbouring countries. President Jacques Chirac summoned his security, social affairs and finance ministers to an emergency meeting at 1700 GMT to plot a response after 1,300 vehicles were destroyed in the latest night of chaos -- a new high. REUTERS/Franck Prevel

[NewCenturions]

Classic example of what happens when you respond to violence with WEAKNESS.

[Chanticleer]

There's an amusing story by Harlan Ellison about his one day job at Disney. I believe he was in the cafeteria where he made an off-color joking remark about Mickey -- within earshot of executives.

The pink slip was waiting on his desk when he returned from lunch.

Moral of the story -- never %&#@ with the Mouse.

Tinkerbell in a tank, Mickey with an army of mops -- they could easily take on the thugs!

[Dane]

First Fatality Reported in French Riots

Also says that cars were torched in Brussels.

[Aquinasfan]

Vicomte13 says this has absolutely nothing to do with islam, and he/she is in France.

Churches being burned now. No reports of mosques being burned.

[LikeLight]

The "youth" of France (in Toulouse early Monday morning)...

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

OK thank you, LikeLight.

No police were killed? I'm absolutely amazed. Not one?

In fact, this is more alarming that in-your-face violence. Blatant jihad is easier to deal with than this. If you go hardline, you're a 'bully'. If you go soft, they get more emboldened. I say, er on the side of 'bully'. Better to be kicked out for being too tough than kicked out for being a wimp.

Chirac is doomed either way. So he might as well go out shooting and avoid being equated with 'Chamberlain'. But hey, he won't listen to anything that makes sense. We all know that. His course was set a long time ago, and I'm pretty sure he removed the rudder.

[LikeLight]

Gosh, wonder why they aren't burning mosques?

[Chanticleer]

How's this for despicable?

The African immigrant attackers doused the woman, in her 50s and on crutches, with an inflammable liquid and set her afire as she tried to get off a bus in the suburb of Sevran (search) Wednesday, judicial officials said. The bus had been forced to stop because of burning objects in its path. She was rescued by the driver and hospitalized with severe burns.

Mind-boggling.