Paris is Burning

French authorities move to impose order and curfews after youths riot for a 12th night. Early reports suggest today's riots were less severe than those yesterday, when protesters fired at police and torched more than 1,400 cars. That was the worst violence since the unrest began on October 27 when two teenagers were accidentally killed. They were of Mauritanian and Tunisian descent, electrocuted as they hid from police in a power substation—apparently believing that they were being chased.

The uprising began in the Parisian suburbs and has spread across the country. It forces France to confront long-suppressed anger in neglected suburbs and among the French-born children of Arab and black African immigrants.

President Jacques Chirac: Recognizes the inherent racism and xenophobia in his culture, "the incapacity of French society to fully accept" those of African or North African origin. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin: Reluctant to call army, but expands powers of the local prefects. French youths: Police misconduct is routine, drugs are planted as a pretext for arrests. Riots threaten the nation's carefully cultivated tourism industry.

Comments

[Dante']

I have been watching the news lately and am alarmed yet not overly shocked by the situations going on in France. The French president has even opened up about the horrible mistreatment of African-descent citizens in his country and realize that the "poor have been neglected". Well, I wish our very own president can say those words. There was no riots like that in New Orleans and yet he couldn't even say those powerful words the French president just said. Our own are neglected here and the poor are becoming poorer in today's society. Plus, haven't you all realized that the prices of goods and service are higher than it was a year ago. What's up with that. I got so depressed going shopping today - I told myself for the first time in a while - I can live without all of this stuff.

To tell you the truth, I don't think this holiday season will be a profitable for the U.S. economy. Things are looking very shaky.

Let's continue to pray for the people over in France...even though I do believe the poor needs to let their frustrations be heard, torching public buses isn't the way to go. Today's generation needs more examples like the late Rosa Parks especially.

[Zac]

I think this thing in France is going to be really big. They have way too many oppressed Black/Arab/North African/African citizens there that are tired of economic discrimination based on religion and skin color.

[Lapdog]

Like everyone else I thught France was alright interms of racial harmony.