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| Europe | |
| France riots take malevolent turn | |
| 2005-11-05 | |
Widespread riots across impoverished areas of France took a malevolent turn in a ninth night of violence, with youths torching an ambulance and stoning medical workers coming to the aid of a sick person. Authorities arrested more than 250 people, an unprecedented sweep since the beginning of the unrest. Bands of youths also burned a nursery school, warehouses and nearly 900 cars overnight as the violence spread from the restive Paris suburbs to towns around France. The U.S. warned Americans against taking trains to the airport through the affected areas. At the nursery school in Acheres, west of Paris, part of the roof was caved in, childrensâ photos stuck to blackened walls, and melted plastic toys littered the floor. The town had been previously untouched by the violence. Some residents demanded that the army be deployed, or that citizens rise up and form militias. At the school gate, the mayor tried to calm tempers. âWe are not going to start militias,â Mayor Alain Outreman said. âYou would have to be everywhere.â Violence spreads Fires and other incidents were reported in Lille, Toulouse, Rouen and elsewhere on the second night of unrest in areas beyond metropolitan Paris. An incendiary device was tossed at the wall of a synagogue in Pierrefitte, northwest of Paris, where electricity went out after a burning car damaged an electrical pole. âThis is dreadful, unfortunate. Who did this? Against whom?â Naima Mouis, a hospital worker in Suresnes, asked while looking at the hulk of her burned-out car. On Saturday morning, more than 1,000 people took part in a silent march in one of the worst-hit suburbs, Aulnay-sous-Bois, filing past burned-out cars to demand calm. One banner read: âNo to violence.â Car torchings have become a daily fact in Franceâs tough suburbs, with about 100 each night. Interior Ministry said nearly 900 vehicles were burned throughout France from Friday night to Saturday morning, most in the Paris area. Arrests were also up sharply, with more than 250 people detained overnight, nearly all in the Paris area, said national police spokesman Patrick Hamon. Police deployed in smaller teams and used a helicopter to track bands of youths going from attack to attack, he said. Police had made just 78 arrests in the Paris region the previous night. The violence â sparked after the Oct. 27 accidental electrocution of two teenagers who believed police were chasing them in Seine-Saint-Denis â has laid bare discontent simmering in Franceâs poor suburbs ringing big cities. Those areas are home to large populations of African Muslim immigrants and their children living in low-income housing projects marked by high unemployment, crime and despair. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin oversaw a Cabinet meeting Saturday to evaluate the situation. Some 30 mayors from the Seine-Saint-Denis region where the unrest started met Friday to make a joint call for calm. Claude Pernes, mayor of Rosny-sous-Bois, denounced a âveritable guerrilla situation, urban insurrectionâ that has taken hold. A national police spokesman, Patrick Hamon, said there appeared to be no coordination among gangs in different areas. But he said youths in individual neighborhoods were communicating by cell phone text messages or e-mails â arranging meetings and warning each other about police operations. U.S., Russia issue warnings The persistence of the violence prompted the American and Russian governments to advise citizens visiting Paris to avoid the suburbs, where authorities were struggling to gain control of the worst rioting in at least a decade. An attack this week on a female bus passenger highlighted the savage nature of some of the violence. The woman, in her 50s and on crutches, was doused with an inflammable liquid and set afire after passengers were forced to leave the bus, blocked by burning objects on the road, judicial officials said. Late Friday in Meaux, east of Paris, youths prevented firefighters from evacuating a sick person from an apartment in a housing project, pelting them with stones and torching the awaiting ambulance, an Interior Ministry officer said. The officer, not authorized to speak publicly, asked not to be named. âIâm not able to sleep at night because you never know when a fire might break out,â said Mammed Chukri, 36, a Kurdish immigrant from northern Iraq living near a burned carpet warehouse. âI have three children and I live in a five-story building. If a fire hit, what would I do?â A national police spokesman, Patrick Hamon, said there appeared to be no coordination between gangs in the various riot-hit suburbs. He said, however, that neighborhood youths were communicating between themselves using cell phone text messaging or e-mails to arrange meeting points and alert each other to police | |
| Posted by:Omath Craling9476 |
| #30 ooops...got a little extra garbage in there. Ah well. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-11-05 22:07 |
| #29 When things get this bad, there is only one thing to do at a time like this: Sing Along:la Marseillaise Let's go children of the fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against us tyranny's Bloody flag is raised! (repeat) In the countryside, do you hear The roaring of these fierce soldiers? They come right to our arms To slit the throats of our sons, our friends! Refrain To arms, citizens! Form up your battalions Let us march, Let us march! That their impure blood Should water our fields Grab your weapons, citizens! Form your batallions! Let us march! Let us march! May impure blood Water our fields! More La Marseillaise en français Listen to la Marseillaise Bastille Day article Bastille Day online games ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This horde of slaves, traitors, plotting kings, What do they want? For whom these vile shackles, These long-prepared irons? (repeat) Frenchmen, for us, oh! what an insult! What emotions that must excite! It is us that they dare to consider Returning to ancient slavery! What! These foreign troops Would make laws in our home! What! These mercenary phalanxes Would bring down our proud warriors! (repeat) Good Lord! By chained hands Our brows would bend beneath the yoke! Vile despots would become The masters of our fate! Tremble, tyrants! and you, traitors, The disgrace of all groups, Tremble! Your parricidal plans Will finally pay the price! (repeat) Everyone is a soldier to fight you, If they fall, our young heros, France will make more, Ready to battle you! Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors, Bear or hold back your blows! Spare these sad victims, Regretfully arming against us. (repeat) But not these bloodthirsty despots, But not these accomplices of Bouillé, All of these animals who, without pity, Tear their mother's breast to pieces! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sacred love of France, Lead, support our avenging arms! Liberty, beloved Liberty, Fight with your defenders! (repeat) Under our flags, let victory Hasten to your manly tones! May your dying enemies See your triumph and our glory! Refrain We will enter the pit When our elders are no longer there; There, we will find their dust And the traces of their virtues. (repeat) Much less eager to outlive them Than to share their casket, We will have the sublime pride Of avenging them or following them! Refrain To arms, citizens! Form up your battalions Let us march, Let us march! That their impure blood Should water our fields |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-11-05 22:06 |
| #28 Now would be a great time for Germany to attack France again!! Matter of fact France should beg Germany to attack. BTW - What is the EU doing about this? |
| Posted by: Long Hair Republican 2005-11-05 21:19 |
| #27 First shoot the media jackals, Er, um, NO. Since I've posted articles on Rantburg, that would technically make Me a "media jackal." |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-11-05 21:04 |
| #26 You know, the easy way to stop this is to turn off the utilities to the area: no cell phones, no phones, no electricity, no gas, no water. Put these punks back in the 7th century. Arm the police and shoot to kill. First shoot the media jackals, then the lawyers, then the sociologists, then any bleeding heart who opens his mouth. Then march through the cites arresting every male over 12. Interrogate to find the bad guys. Throw them in jail or shoot them. Send the rest to Algeria. |
| Posted by: Random thoughts 2005-11-05 18:41 |
| #25 Yes. I'm surprised Z-man hasn't gotten someone in there yet. |
| Posted by: Jake-the-Peg 2005-11-05 17:05 |
| #24 expect a boomer --- avenging police brutality --- any day now. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-11-05 16:30 |
| #23 Just a few random thoughts The solution is not a single thing. But to start curfew (I haven't heard of one) and troops on the street with a shoot on site order. Then the other things that are needful can begin. The government of France is diddling around. This is the only way. The current Government of France is considered "right wing" even though right wing. What will replace will be a Socialist now I fear. The UK has places where Fire trucks and Ambulances need police escorts too. It's got the same problem. I am going to catch hell for this but I believe every human should have the possibility of a living wage job. No matter how stupid or handicapped they are, useful work should be available to them. Lots of these problems wouldn't exist at the level they do if that was the case. Idle hands are the devils playground. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-11-05 15:02 |
| #22 Because they figure that the GOVERNMENT should be making appeasing sounds, not them. On account of their feelings have been hurt an' all. |
| Posted by: disgusted 2005-11-05 14:16 |
| #21 Friday is Muzzie prayer day. Why don't these articles tell about the calming words the leaders of the religion of peace offered on Friday and how they calmed the youths? |
| Posted by: Ebbavilet Ulirt2411 2005-11-05 14:09 |
| #20 They'll be part of the Caliphate before they get around to partitioning the country, Matt. My guess is sooner rather than later, just as Zapatero is negotiating with the Arabs for just such an outcome. |
| Posted by: disgusted 2005-11-05 14:07 |
| #19 Spain? You mean al-Andalusia? |
| Posted by: Thrineck Theretle8664 2005-11-05 13:58 |
| #18 Frankistan as a state is slowly ceasing to exist, no doubt about it. Where is the French Army, where is the legendary Legion Etrangere? I guess it is time for a partition of a rotting corpse - first Spain should get back her Roussillon; Savoy, Nice and Corsica go to Italy, Alsace-Lorraine - to Germany and the North (Flemish Westhoek) to Belgium. And the rest can slowly simmer... |
| Posted by: Matt K. 2005-11-05 13:28 |
| #17 c-low. Right you are. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-11-05 13:17 |
| #16 If they can't summon the will and energy even for that, then they're as good as dead already and deservedly so. IIRC arms are not available to the common Frenchman? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-11-05 12:45 |
| #15 What he has seen and been told (he's got a card press) is more reminiscent of ponctual, targeted destructions. This is urban guerilla." All the more reason to shoot on sight. We have heard time and again that once push comes to shove and their OWN interests are directly threatened by terrorists, the french can be as ruthless as any, if not more so. Well, it looks like that time is rapidly approaching. Time for the french to defend themselves and the very fabric or their society. If they can't summon the will and energy even for that, then they're as good as dead already. |
| Posted by: docob 2005-11-05 12:29 |
| #14 A hundred people were evacuated overnight from two apartment blocks in one northern suburb after an arson attack set dozens of cars alight in an underground garage. Another instance of the lack of deaths being more the result of luck than of design. What he has seen and been told (he's got a card press) is more reminiscent of ponctual, targeted destructions. This is urban guerilla. Well, yeah. That's what we've been saying. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-11-05 12:14 |
| #13 Git a move on Mariane |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-05 12:14 |
| #12 reply to #9 yes, self-destructive groups have existed and still are. In evolution, these are called parasites. And the more, the better these adapt and find new victims (too "democratic" societies where responsibility is ignored, covering with "human rights"). |
| Posted by: Nesvarbukas 2005-11-05 12:05 |
| #11 mmurray I agree you cant deal with barbarians exept with a 5.56 pointing thier way. However you got to feel for the common frenchman on the street. Yeah they voted for the gov they got and they are going to pay the price just as they are right now BUT that could be us in 01' Bush barely pulled out a victory over Gore that would have never invaded Afghanistan maybe some bombing raids of empty training camps with notice of overflight just in case sent to the Pak security then forwarded to the targets. And in 04' it wasnt much better and you look today with the meida short Fox which latley is falling into the flow constant harping of our defeat in Iraq, I mean we lost 3000 civilians in one day on 9-11 after 4yrs of war two invasions and 3yrs of occupation of two hostile populations with a meger 2000 dead in historical comparison that is unheard of yet it has been turned into a defeat that even the Right now accept as such that is pitifull. Look at Kosovo or Bosnia still a mess still UN peace their and still problems thats been running since mid 90's for gods sake yet I hear no quagmire comments??? the Peace-love-&-happiness mind set is heavily ingrained even in a lot of our Right. I feel for the french becuase that could very very easily be us tommorrow we have the same LLL mentality enstrength her in this nation just like thier the only differnce is today we have our Right in charge but tommorrow who knows? Many on the right are pretty damm light themselves McCain for one so the idea of actually shamming or pressing the threat of the peace-love&-happiness mentality into shame or even prosecuting some of this open Sedition is not very likley even thou it is looking more and more nessecary. In todays enviroment can you imagine a war in Iran or for gods sake one on the scale of WW2 we would have never made it to Midway before surrendering totaly demorilized and broken at home with the leadership in prison for not knowing about the attack general Mc Aurthur in prison for holding on so long wasing all of those lives on a hopeless defence. We are not far behind the EU and what is happing thier today is could in just one election happen here tommorrow. So yeah I really feel sorry for the French and the EU common people. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2005-11-05 12:02 |
| #10 âWe are not going to start militias,â Mayor Alain Outreman said. âYou would have to be everywhere.â That is the beauty of militias, they can be everywhere the police aren't. Self-empowerment is a wonderful thing. The problem for the elite is: How do you put the genie back in the bottle when once you have turned it loose? |
| Posted by: DanNY 2005-11-05 11:55 |
| #9 are the Muslim extremists really this stupid? It's just like in Israel. Their ability to fight depends on the patience of their western hosts. So they exhaust it. Has a more self-destructive group ever existed? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-11-05 11:52 |
| #8 Send in the Foreign Legion with fixed bayonets... |
| Posted by: Jim 2005-11-05 11:50 |
| #7 According to a gentleman I "know" (read internet relation) and who toured the areas, what's happening is not rioting; he's seen and lived through rioting in Guyana and Africa, their effect and their aftermath, and this is not it. What he has seen and been told (he's got a card press) is more reminiscent of ponctual, targeted destructions. This is urban guerilla. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2005-11-05 11:44 |
| #6 I want to feel for the French people, but they got the government and society they asked for. It is a bitter, painful lesson and hopefully one that doesn't kill them. The rest of the world needs to take note, you just can't reason with barbarians. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-05 11:43 |
| #5 I feel for the French citizens it reminds me of how I felt after time and time again in the 90's when we were attacked by terrorist but our "peace-love-&-happiness" leadership did nothing after all thier family and freinds were safe up in the ivory towers while us peasants were left to the hinderlands and barbarian wills. The LLL leadership that is even stronger in EU than here has proven itself totaly inept of handling todays world or tommorows. I just pray that the enebitable day when the EU people go back to the right were sanity and national pride not peace-love-&-happiness and self hatred is strong, I just hope they go US style right and not back to the old Iperialist, Colonialist, Faciast ideas of the old EU right. It really is sad to see LLL leadership that is so polluted that after 9days of riots and even spreading of such they still cant bring themselves to deploy the military declare martial law and start shooting people. Even Lousiana with their LLL gov (well as long as they are stealing food its OK they are just hungry, retardation that was proven so after the walmart cookies were left while big screens a flowith) and their LLL mayor (atop the hotel partying with the foriegn tourist while the police crumbled and the city fell into mad max, even with this line up the guard was deployed martial law was declared and in what by the 2nd day of looting it was over with a mere 8people shot trying to rob some workers, word travels fast about such and the point was made game over or DIE. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2005-11-05 11:40 |
| #4 On the bright side Villepin and Chirac's careers are now toast. I suppose it's possible, but it's hard to believe that the French could do worse than those two. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-11-05 11:33 |
| #3 Turned malevolent did it? So what we've been seeing for the previous eight days was benevolent behavior? |
| Posted by: GK 2005-11-05 11:26 |
| #2 "Widespread riots across impoverished areas of France took a malevolent turn" What, they were benevolent before? |
| Posted by: dushan 2005-11-05 11:23 |
| #1 Nearly 900 vehicles were torched and 250-plus people arrested as French police desperately battled the country's worst rioting for decades, which has now raged for nine consecutive nights. Clue #1: There's a way to deal with these rioters, and arresting them is not it. |
| Posted by: docob 2005-11-05 11:18 |