International   

Violence spreads to cities across France

Vaiju Naravane

Rioters use mobile telephones to evade police and regroup

Paris: Urban violence that has affected France for over a week appears to be spiralling out of control and the state might be obliged to call out army units to quell nightly rioters. On Friday night alone, mobs set fire to over 900 cars, burnt shops and businesses and repeatedly clashed with the police, pelting them with petrol bombs, sticks and stones. Over 250 persons were arrested.

Worrying development

The violence is no longer confined to Paris' outlying suburbs. In a worrying development, incidents of rioting and arson were reported from several large and small cities across the country such as Lille and Rouen in the north, Rennes in the west and Toulouse (home to Airbus Industries), Nice and Marseilles in the south.

The Prosecutor General for Paris Yves Bot said in a radio interview that the incidents appeared to be organised. Masked young men were using mobile telephones to evade police and regroup. They have also been urging copycat acts in other towns through Internet blogs.

Over this past week, the rioters' strategy in dealing with the police has shifted. They now no longer engage in direct confrontation but set fires and escape in order to evade arrest. Police units have been called in from various parts of the country to deal with the situation but they have proved totally inadequate so far.

Peace efforts futile

The violence began on October 27 following the accidental death by electrocution of two teenagers who were fleeing police identity checks. The situation was further inflamed when a police grenade was lobbed into a mosque during Friday prayers.

A march by community leaders, clerics and local politicians has failed to calm tempers. All those who talked with the media without exception demanded an apology from the Government and the resignation of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy who they said showed scant respect when he described those living in deprived and derelict housing estates as "scum".

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Violence spreads to cities across France
Bomb being made for "terrorist activity"
Tension over damage to graves
Deal on online book access
Osama's silence baffles U.S.
60,000 units privatised in China
Copernicus remains found
Sonic boom raids cause fear, trauma
LoC crossover points ready: Pakistan
To catch a cyber-thief...

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu