Youth riots in France

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2007-11-26 03:24pm

IHT wrote:PARIS: The police were bracing for new violence Monday in a troubled Paris suburb after arson and rioting erupted when two youths were killed in a collision with a police car.

The clashes broke out after two teenagers on a motorbike collided with a police car Sunday in the town of Villiers-le-Bel, 18 kilometers, or 11 miles, north of Paris.

Within an hour of the accident, bands of youths began stoning police and firemen, setting four buildings ablaze - including a police station and a McDonald's restaurant. More than 28 cars were burned, many at a garage, officials said.

Twenty-five police officers were injured, and nine people were arrested, mainly in Villiers-le-Bel. The violence spread to nearby Sarcelles, and some damage was reported in other towns.

"We've talked to our colleagues from the domestic intelligence services, who themselves talked to their contacts, in particular in schools, and what they are hearing are the little brothers saying, 'My big brother told me to stay home tonight because they are going to destroy everything,' " said Patrick Trotignon, who is in charge of the Paris area for the Synergie Officiers police union.

The circumstances recalled the accidental deaths of two teenagers in October 2005 in another Paris suburb that sparked a three-week wave of unrest throughout France.

The two teenagers who died Sunday were identified in the French media only as Moushin, 15, and Larami, 16. They were riding on a small motorbike, or "dirt-bike," in Villiers-le-Bel in the Val d'Oise department.

The police described the accident as probably an ordinary crash at an intersection. "What is almost entirely sure is that it wasn't a chase with the youths, but that they crashed into each other at the intersection," a police spokeswoman for the Val d'Oise region said. "There is a theory that the youths ignored the right of way."

Trotignon said the kind of motorbike involved was not approved for road use.

In October 2005, two teenagers were electrocuted in a power station in another suburb, Clichy-sous-Bois, while fleeing the police.

An inquiry concluded that officers had chased the two on foot, though not as far as the power station. The incident led to an outburst of civil unrest that spread to many urban areas in France. Thousands of cars were burned and dozens of public buildings were set on fire.

Since the 2005 riots, the authorities have increased funding to help the suburban areas, which often suffer high unemployment rates - in some of the largely immigrant areas, youth unemployment is close to 50 percent.

This month, the police found three gas cylinders loaded with screws and bolts in Aulnay-sous-Bois, north of Paris. One had been placed in a trash bin that was later set ablaze, in what was considered to have been a trap for the police.

"There's an escalation," Trotignon said, speaking about the discovery of the gas cylinders in Aulnay in light of the events in Villiers-le-Bel. "It wasn't just to scare us off, it was to kill. And now we've got an officer who's got a perforated lung."

President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was in China on Monday, urged calm, The Associated Press reported. "I want everyone to calm down and let the justice system determine who was responsible," he said.

Tribun · Post by **Tribun** » 2007-11-26 03:41pm

Geez, a fucking car-accident and they freak out and start to demolish everything in sight. Obviously they just needed an excuse to start another rampage. Sometimes I really have the feeling that French government wishes they could simply nuke these shitholes at the edges of their cities.

Via la France.

DavidEC · Post by **DavidEC** » 2007-11-26 03:42pm

I once heard a French woman say something along the lines of, "You English are so staid, when the French youths have a problem, they get up and riot about it..." by burning cars, it seems.

Adrian Laguna · Post by **Adrian Laguna** » 2007-11-26 03:44pm

Rioting is a proud French tradition. This article only shows that these days they don't even bother waiting for a good excuse to start one.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-26 03:45pm

It must be that time of the year again to start a good o' riot just for tradition sake. How can a year go by without one?

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-26 03:50pm

Adrian Laguna wrote:
This article only shows that these days they don't even bother waiting for a good excuse to start one.

You do know that they still haven't decided what the point of May '68 was? Rioting is about as French as barets - they just go nuts once in a while.

Balrog · Post by **Balrog** » 2007-11-26 03:53pm

Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:It must be that time of the year again to start a good o' riot just for tradition sake. How can a year go by without one?

You could set your calender by the annual rioting it seems. But then you never need a good excuse to riot; just look at all the sports riots started by fans whose team won.

DavidEC · Post by **DavidEC** » 2007-11-26 04:38pm

It seems to be around the autumn time. Maybe they're getting cold, which would explain the burning car fetish.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2007-11-26 05:10pm

Why are we reposting last year's news stories again?

Oh wait. We're not. What the FUCK is wrong with French "youths" that they think they need to riot ALL THE FUCKING TIME?

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2007-11-26 05:18pm

French revolutionary spirit in action it looks like.

Androsphinx · Post by **Androsphinx** » 2007-11-26 05:22pm

More like young, single, disaffected and deprived kids crossed with careless and often racist police. Not a French phenomenon.

Ubiquitous · Post by **Ubiquitous** » 2007-11-26 06:27pm

Androsphinx wrote:More like young, single, disaffected and deprived kids

Cry me a fucking river. It does NOT give them an excuse to destroy private property and scare the general population just because they have a shitty deal.

Androsphinx · Post by **Androsphinx** » 2007-11-26 06:32pm

Never said it did. I have no idea why you are confusing an explanation with approval.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-26 06:50pm

Bounty wrote:
Adrian Laguna wrote:
This article only shows that these days they don't even bother waiting for a good excuse to start one.
You do know that they still haven't decided what the point of May '68 was? Rioting is about as French as barets - they just go nuts once in a while.

What happened back then?

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-11-26 07:15pm

I saw the thread title and actually said, aloud "AGAIN?!"

Seriously, they need to send some Brazillian riot police from Sao Paulo over there, and teach them why you DON'T SET CARS ON FIRE!

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2007-11-26 07:47pm

Androsphinx wrote:More like young, single, disaffected and deprived kids crossed with careless and often racist police. Not a French phenomenon.

Uh... the whole "rioting" thing is a French phenomenon. Which is, sorta, the point of the thread. Thanks for playing, though.

Bounty · Post by **Bounty** » 2007-11-27 03:00am

Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:
Bounty wrote:
Adrian Laguna wrote:
This article only shows that these days they don't even bother waiting for a good excuse to start one.
You do know that they still haven't decided what the point of May '68 was? Rioting is about as French as barets - they just go nuts once in a while.
What happened back then?

Riots. Big riots, big strikes, students on the barricades, clashes with the police, De Gaulle fleeing abroad nearly sending in the army. It started as a vague protest against university funding policy, but once the riot police got sent in it just spiralled out of control into an almost-revolution.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-27 03:28am

Bounty wrote:Riots. Big riots, big strikes, students on the barricades, clashes with the police, De Gaulle fleeing abroad nearly sending in the army. It started as a vague protest against university funding policy, but once the riot police got sent in it just spiralled out of control into an almost-revolution.

Sounds like the French Revolution Redux, with the "King" fleeing and all...

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2007-11-27 03:53am

Tribun wrote:Sometimes I really have the feeling that French government wishes they could simply nuke these shitholes at the edges of their cities.

Or build a wall around it a la Banlieue 13.

Then nuke it

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2007-11-27 04:03am

And they always accused us of being uncivilised. Those hypocritical bastards

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2007-11-27 04:25am

I note occasionally that America is pretty mild and sedate. We get worked up occasionally, but it washes away with the next episode of random reality show, or celebrity scandal, etc. Pretty inane, but mild anyway.

Europeans are opposite. Generally more intelligent and world-smart, but nuttier.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2007-11-27 04:54am

We had a big fire last night a few blocks away and there the firefighters were welcomed by stone throwing punks. Some idiots clearly aren't fit to live in a civilized country.

Androsphinx · Post by **Androsphinx** » 2007-11-27 05:08am

Uh... the whole "rioting" thing is a French phenomenon. Which is, sorta, the point of the thread. Thanks for playing, though.

And is, of course, is totally different to riots in underprivilaged areas of first-world cities across the planet. Like, say, Crown Heights, or Los Angeles?

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-11-27 05:33am

Androsphinx wrote:And is, of course, is totally different to riots in underprivilaged areas of first-world cities across the planet. Like, say, Crown Heights, or Los Angeles?

In the matter of speaking, yes. Occasionally, you even have privileged youths, like university students rioting. Didn't you read some of the earlier posts in the thread?

Androsphinx · Post by **Androsphinx** » 2007-11-27 05:42am

In the matter of speaking, yes. Occasionally, you even have privileged youths, like university students rioting. Didn't you read some of the earlier posts in the thread?

I am aware of the events of 1968. These are nothing like that, and have everything in common with poor populations in 1st-world cities. Like the ones in France in 2005, but nothing like the ones in 1968. It is not idealistic, middle-class university students who are setting fire to cars and atacking police.