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Lack of work troubles youth

Alex Duval Smith— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

Not many cars left to burn, say French rioters

Paris: Official predictions that two weeks of violence in French suburbs is coming to an end were met with scorn in the smouldering Parisian estate of Aulnay-sous-Bois.

"There just aren't any cars left to burn," said 17-year-old HB, staring at a deserted car park. "Anyone who cares about their vehicle has parked it somewhere else."

His gang of French-born youngsters with North African parents say nothing has been changed by government announcements, curfews, deployment of 10,200 police, up to 2,000 arrests, or peace marches by mothers.

"Now the guys feel like burning the Champs-Elysees,' said HB, a trainee chef of Algerian parents.

Emblematic avenue

The luxury avenue is emblematic to these youths, because it was there, in 1998, that 1.5 million persons celebrated France's World Cup victory. Two headers from Zinedine Zidane, son of Marseille's restless suburbs, were the key to the victory. Zidane's multi-ethnic team was hailed as evidence of the success of integration.

Yet the role-model team, reunited for Saturday night's match against Germany, has barely uttered a word on the urban crisis. Nor have politicians enlisted help from any of France's few leading personalities with immigrant backgrounds.

Millionaire chef Karim Derrouaz (46), says: "The trouble is France is aristocratic. Britain is capitalistic. An Englishman who meets a go-ahead Asian will say, `OK, give him a chance, then I can do less work myself.' A Frenchman will think he is best and put the youngster down. I don't know how many times I was told: `Oh, you're Algerian, so you're good at couscous and green tea.' Fortunately, I met one or two other professionals who believed in me."

These days Derrouaz, whose Symphonie petit-fours business has 500 employees and a euro 34 million turnover, has an office near the Champs-Elysees.

The son of an Algerian electrician and a French cleaner, he would like to get together with other success stories from African backgrounds to show young men that they can achieve. "These kids need people to look up to."

A recurring complaint is lack of work. Unemployment among the six million on France's estates is 36 per cent - the national youth average is 21.3 per cent. Sociologist Dounia Bouzar says youths have false expectations.

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