Here is some news coverage and thoughts about the riots going on in the suburbs of Paris from sources I trust.
From Free Speech Radio News:
Paris Still Burning
All night rioting in mostly immigrant towns around Paris left at least 300 cars burned. Last night was the worst violence in the past week’s clashed between youth and police, while Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was involved in talks between police and immigrant group representatives. France’s right-wing government is now facing a major crisis after the week of urban violence. Riots sparked off by the deaths of two teenagers have opened up divisions in the government’s ranks and is reminding the country of decades of neglect of low-income housing projects, which often house families of immigrant origin. FSRN Tony Cross has more from Paris.
(Section about the riots starts 11min 31sec into this mp3.)
FSRN 11/03/2005 MP3
From a friend who is fluent in French:
I read le monde. It’s like the NY Times. So I don’t how much bias I get. French newspapers tend to be more critical of their governments. Apparently Sarkozy the [French] Minister of Interior is just fanning the fire instead of doing something constructive.
This stuff has been brewing for years and the current french economic and political climate is not helping. There’s nothing more volatile as high unemployment and Giuliani-like view of criminal justice/desire to do everything like les Americains. They always present french racism & xenophobia + fear of all things muslim.
Some guy recommended the movie “la haine” to get a sense of youth disaffection in the suburbs. It’s by the french Spike Lee. [Mathieu Kassovitz] The French administration is not very liberal so who knows what may happen next. Those kids just have had enough of police brutality, everyday institutionalized racism, and poverty. They have nothing to lose. I don’t think they are gangs or hoodlums as Sarkozy wants everyone to believe…
Visual comment – Save Paris.