French youths defy Sarkozy and riot again
swissinfo | November 1, 2005 12:50 PM
French youths defy Sarkozy and riot again PARIS (Reuters) - French youths rioted in a Paris suburb for the fifth night running overnight on Tuesday, defying calls for calm from Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. Eleven vehicles were burnt out and a policemen lightly injured in the latest night of violence in the northeastern Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, where passions were raised a day earlier when a tear gas grenade was fired into a mosque. The violence began after two teenagers died last Thursday night when they were electrocuted in an electricity sub station while apparently fleeing police. "It was less serious than the previous nights," said an official at the Seine-Saint-Denis prefecture in Bobigny, which oversees Clichy-sous-Bois. Clichy is home to many immigrants and poor families who live in high-rise housing estates notorious for youth violence. In the nearby neighbourhood of Montfermeil, two cars were destroyed and a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a police garage. Sarkozy visited the Bobigny prefecture on Monday to defend his tough anti-crime policies. He also vowed to investigate the tear gas incident at the mosque after contradictory reports of what happened. Sarkozy, who is employing a "zero tolerance" policy towards violence, launched a new crime offensive this month, ordering specially trained police to tackle 25 problem neighbourhoods in cities throughout France. Opposition Socialists say the disturbances in the Paris suburbs show Sarkozy's tough policies are failing and argue that action is also needed on crime prevention, housing and education.
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