Riots Prompt French PM to Postpone Trip
By CHRISTINE OLLIVIER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours ago
PARIS - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told parliament on Wednesday that he was pushing back a three-day visit to Canada following six nights of rioting in Paris suburbs.
It was not immediately clear whether Villepin was delaying his departure by a few hours, as his aides earlier had said he would do so he could address parliament, or whether the visit was postponed indefinitely.
"The government is entirely mobilized, and that is why I have informed the Canadian prime minister and the prime minister of Quebec that my visit is put back," Villepin said.
His office said it had no immediate additional information.
Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac called Wednesday for calm and said authorities will use a firm hand to curtail what may become a "dangerous situation."
The violence, sparked initially by the deaths of two teenagers, has exposed the despair, anger and deep-rooted criminality in the poor suburbs, where police hesitate to venture and which have proved fertile terrain for Islamic extremists.
"The law must be applied firmly and in a spirit of dialogue and respect," Chirac said at a Cabinet meeting. "The absence of dialogue and an escalation of a lack of respect will lead to a dangerous situation."
Chirac's remarks were passed on to reporters by government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope.
The rioting, which spread Tuesday night to at least nine Paris-region towns, has exposed rifts in Chirac's government, with Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy _ a potential 2007 presidential candidate _ being criticized for his tough talk and police tactics.
It also has renewed debate about France's failure to fully integrate its millions of immigrants, many of whom are trapped in poverty and grinding unemployment, living in low-cost, sometimes decrepit, suburban housing estates where gangs dealing drugs and stolen goods sometimes are in control.
That Chirac intervened personally was a measure of the crisis. He acknowledged the "profound frustrations" of troubled neighborhoods but said violence was not the answer and that efforts must be stepped up to combat it.
"Zones without law cannot exist in the republic," the French leader said.
In Tuesday night's clashes, riot police fired rubber bullets at advancing gangs of youths in Aulnay-sous-Bois, where 15 cars were burned, officials said. Youths lobbed Molotov cocktails at an annex to the town hall and threw stones at the firehouse. It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy told Europe-1 radio that police detained 34 people overnight.
Sarkozy _ blamed by many for fanning the violence with his "zero-tolerance" approach to suburban crime _ defended his approach and vowed to restore calm. He recently called rioters "scum" and vowed to "clean out" troubled suburbs.
Housing projects to the north and northeast of Paris are heavily populated by North African Muslim immigrants.
Because of the unrest, Sarkozy canceled a visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan planned to begin Sunday, his office announced Wednesday.
The rioting began Thursday in the northeastern suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois after the electrocutions of two teenagers hiding in a power substation because they believed police were chasing them.
Officials have said police were not pursuing the boys, aged 17 and 15.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin met Tuesday evening with the parents of the three families, promising a full investigation of the deaths and insisting on "the need to restore calm."
In the northeastern suburb of Bondy, 14 cars were burned and four people arrested for throwing stones at police, authorities said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I know that Southern France is in Muslim control the fact its reaching to Paris is very disturbing .If France dosent wake up it will be a Muslim State in less than 40 Years . :cursin:
By CHRISTINE OLLIVIER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours ago
PARIS - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told parliament on Wednesday that he was pushing back a three-day visit to Canada following six nights of rioting in Paris suburbs.
It was not immediately clear whether Villepin was delaying his departure by a few hours, as his aides earlier had said he would do so he could address parliament, or whether the visit was postponed indefinitely.
"The government is entirely mobilized, and that is why I have informed the Canadian prime minister and the prime minister of Quebec that my visit is put back," Villepin said.
His office said it had no immediate additional information.
Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac called Wednesday for calm and said authorities will use a firm hand to curtail what may become a "dangerous situation."
The violence, sparked initially by the deaths of two teenagers, has exposed the despair, anger and deep-rooted criminality in the poor suburbs, where police hesitate to venture and which have proved fertile terrain for Islamic extremists.
"The law must be applied firmly and in a spirit of dialogue and respect," Chirac said at a Cabinet meeting. "The absence of dialogue and an escalation of a lack of respect will lead to a dangerous situation."
Chirac's remarks were passed on to reporters by government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope.
The rioting, which spread Tuesday night to at least nine Paris-region towns, has exposed rifts in Chirac's government, with Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy _ a potential 2007 presidential candidate _ being criticized for his tough talk and police tactics.
It also has renewed debate about France's failure to fully integrate its millions of immigrants, many of whom are trapped in poverty and grinding unemployment, living in low-cost, sometimes decrepit, suburban housing estates where gangs dealing drugs and stolen goods sometimes are in control.
That Chirac intervened personally was a measure of the crisis. He acknowledged the "profound frustrations" of troubled neighborhoods but said violence was not the answer and that efforts must be stepped up to combat it.
"Zones without law cannot exist in the republic," the French leader said.
In Tuesday night's clashes, riot police fired rubber bullets at advancing gangs of youths in Aulnay-sous-Bois, where 15 cars were burned, officials said. Youths lobbed Molotov cocktails at an annex to the town hall and threw stones at the firehouse. It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy told Europe-1 radio that police detained 34 people overnight.
Sarkozy _ blamed by many for fanning the violence with his "zero-tolerance" approach to suburban crime _ defended his approach and vowed to restore calm. He recently called rioters "scum" and vowed to "clean out" troubled suburbs.
Housing projects to the north and northeast of Paris are heavily populated by North African Muslim immigrants.
Because of the unrest, Sarkozy canceled a visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan planned to begin Sunday, his office announced Wednesday.
The rioting began Thursday in the northeastern suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois after the electrocutions of two teenagers hiding in a power substation because they believed police were chasing them.
Officials have said police were not pursuing the boys, aged 17 and 15.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin met Tuesday evening with the parents of the three families, promising a full investigation of the deaths and insisting on "the need to restore calm."
In the northeastern suburb of Bondy, 14 cars were burned and four people arrested for throwing stones at police, authorities said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I know that Southern France is in Muslim control the fact its reaching to Paris is very disturbing .If France dosent wake up it will be a Muslim State in less than 40 Years . :cursin:
