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Of course tw will say it's no big deal. Hehe
By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press Writer
PARIS
President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency Tuesday, paving =
the way for curfews to be imposed on riot-hit cities and towns in an =
extraordinary measure to halt France's worst civil unrest in decades =
after 12 nights of violence.=20
Police, meanwhile, said overnight unrest Monday-Tuesday, while still =
widespread and destructive, was not as violent as previous nights.=20
"The intensity of this violence is on the way down," National Police =
Chief Michel Gaudin said, citing fewer attacks on public buildings and =
fewer direct clashes between youths and police. He said rioting was =
reported in 226 towns across France, compared to nearly 300 the night =
before.=20
The state-of-emergency decree _ invoked under a 50-year-old law _ allows =
curfews where needed and will become effective at midnight Tuesday, with =
an initial 12-day limit. Police _ massively reinforced as the violence =
has fanned out from its initial flash point in the northeastern suburbs =
of Paris _ were expected to enforce the curfews. The army has not been =
called in.=20
Nationwide, vandals burned 1,173 cars, compared to 1,408 vehicles =
Sunday-Monday, police said. A total of 330 people were arrested, down =
from 395 the night before=20
Local officials "will be able to impose curfews on the areas where this =
decision applies," Chirac said at a Cabinet meeting. "It is necessary to =
accelerate the return to calm."=20
The recourse to a 1955 state-of-emergency law that dates back to =
France's war in Algeria was a measure both of the gravity of mayhem that =
has spread to hundreds of French towns and cities and of the =
determination of Chirac's sorely tested government to quash it.=20
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said curfew violators could be =
sentenced to up to two months imprisonment, adding that restoring order =
"will take time."=20
"We are facing determined individuals, structured gangs," Villepin told =
parliament on Tuesday. He vowed that France will "guarantee public order =
to all of our citizens."=20
Nationwide, vandals overnight burned 1,173 cars, compared to 1,408 =
vehicles Sunday to Monday, police said. A total of 330 people were =
arrested, down from 395 the night before.=20
The violence erupted on Oct. 27 as a localized riot in a northeast Paris =
suburb angry over the accidental deaths of two teenagers, of Mauritanian =
and Tunisian descent, who were electrocuted while hiding from police in =
a power substation.=20
It has grown into a nationwide insurrection by disillusioned suburban =
youths, many French-born children of immigrants from France's former =
territories like Algeria. France's suburbs have long been neglected and =
their youth complain of a lack of jobs and widespread discrimination, =
some of it racial.=20
The violence claimed its first victim Monday, with the death of a 61- =
year-old man beaten into a coma last week. Foreign governments have =
warned tourists to be careful in France. Apparent copycat attacks have =
spread to Belgium and Germany, where cars were burned. France is using =
fast-track trials to punish rioters, worrying some human rights =
campaigners.=20
The resort to curfews drew immediate criticism from Chirac's political =
opponents. Former Socialist Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said the =
emergency measures must be "controlled very, very closely."=20
Communist Party leader Marie-George Buffet said the decree could enflame =
rioters. "It could be taken anew as a sort of challenge to carry out =
more violence," she said.=20
Rioters in the southern city of Toulouse ordered passengers off a bus, =
then set it on fire and pelted police with gasoline bombs and rocks. =
Youths also torched another bus in the northeastern Paris suburb of =
Stains, national police spokesman Patrick Hamon said.=20
Outside Paris in Sevran, a junior high school was set ablaze, while in =
the suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine youths threw gasoline bombs at a hospital, =
Hamon said. Nobody was injured.=20
Rioters also attacked a police station with gasoline bombs in Chenove, =
in Burgundy's Cote D'Or, Hamon said. A nursery school in Lille-Fives, in =
northern France, was set on fire, regional officials said.=20
In terms of material destruction, the unrest is France's worst since =
World War II. Never has rioting struck so many French cities =
simultaneously, said security expert Sebastian Roche, a director of =
research at the state-funded National Center for Scientific Research.=20
___=20
Associated Press Writers Jamey Keaten, Jocelyn Gecjer, D'Arcy Doran and =
John Leicester contributed to this report.=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Of course tw will say it's no big deal. =
Hehe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT class=3Dbyline>By JAMEY KEATEN<BR></FONT><FONT =
class=3Dbyline>Associated=20
Press Writer<BR></FONT>
<P><FONT class=3Ddate>PARIS<BR></FONT>
<P><FONT class=3Dstory>President Jacques Chirac declared a state of =
emergency=20
Tuesday, paving the way for curfews to be imposed on riot-hit cities and =
towns=20
in an extraordinary measure to halt France's worst civil unrest in =
decades after=20
12 nights of violence.=20
<P>Police, meanwhile, said overnight unrest Monday-Tuesday, while still=20
widespread and destructive, was not as violent as previous nights.=20
<P>
<P>
<P>"The intensity of this violence is on the way down," National Police =
Chief=20
Michel Gaudin said, citing fewer attacks on public buildings and fewer =
direct=20
clashes between youths and police. He said rioting was reported in 226 =
towns=20
across France, compared to nearly 300 the night before.=20
<P>The state-of-emergency decree _ invoked under a 50-year-old law _ =
allows=20
curfews where needed and will become effective at midnight Tuesday, with =
an=20
initial 12-day limit. Police _ massively reinforced as the violence has =
fanned=20
out from its initial flash point in the northeastern suburbs of Paris _ =
were=20
expected to enforce the curfews. The army has not been called in.=20
<P>Nationwide, vandals burned 1,173 cars, compared to 1,408 vehicles=20
Sunday-Monday, police said. A total of 330 people were arrested, down =
from 395=20
the night before=20
<P>Local officials "will be able to impose curfews on the areas where =
this=20
decision applies," Chirac said at a Cabinet meeting. "It is necessary to =
accelerate the return to calm."=20
<P>The recourse to a 1955 state-of-emergency law that dates back to =
France's war=20
in Algeria was a measure both of the gravity of mayhem that has spread =
to=20
hundreds of French towns and cities and of the determination of Chirac's =
sorely=20
tested government to quash it.=20
<P>Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said curfew violators could be =
sentenced=20
to up to two months imprisonment, adding that restoring order "will take =
time."=20
<P>"We are facing determined individuals, structured gangs," Villepin =
told=20
parliament on Tuesday. He vowed that France will "guarantee public order =
to all=20
of our citizens."=20
<P>Nationwide, vandals overnight burned 1,173 cars, compared to 1,408 =
vehicles=20
Sunday to Monday, police said. A total of 330 people were arrested, down =
from=20
395 the night before.=20
<P>The violence erupted on Oct. 27 as a localized riot in a northeast =
Paris=20
suburb angry over the accidental deaths of two teenagers, of Mauritanian =
and=20
Tunisian descent, who were electrocuted while hiding from police in a =
power=20
substation.=20
<P>It has grown into a nationwide insurrection by disillusioned suburban =
youths,=20
many French-born children of immigrants from France's former territories =
like=20
Algeria. France's suburbs have long been neglected and their youth =
complain of a=20
lack of jobs and widespread discrimination, some of it racial.=20
<P>The violence claimed its first victim Monday, with the death of a 61- =
year-old man beaten into a coma last week. Foreign governments have =
warned=20
tourists to be careful in France. Apparent copycat attacks have spread =
to=20
Belgium and Germany, where cars were burned. France is using fast-track =
trials=20
to punish rioters, worrying some human rights campaigners.=20
<P>The resort to curfews drew immediate criticism from Chirac's =
political=20
opponents. Former Socialist Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said the =
emergency=20
measures must be "controlled very, very closely."=20
<P>Communist Party leader Marie-George Buffet said the decree could =
enflame=20
rioters. "It could be taken anew as a sort of challenge to carry out =
more=20
violence," she said.=20
<P>Rioters in the southern city of Toulouse ordered passengers off a =
bus, then=20
set it on fire and pelted police with gasoline bombs and rocks. Youths =
also=20
torched another bus in the northeastern Paris suburb of Stains, national =
police=20
spokesman Patrick Hamon said.=20
<P>Outside Paris in Sevran, a junior high school was set ablaze, while =
in the=20
suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine youths threw gasoline bombs at a hospital, =
Hamon said.=20
Nobody was injured.=20
<P>Rioters also attacked a police station with gasoline bombs in =
Chenove, in=20
Burgundy's Cote D'Or, Hamon said. A nursery school in Lille-Fives, in =
northern=20
France, was set on fire, regional officials said.=20
<P>In terms of material destruction, the unrest is France's worst since =
World=20
War II. Never has rioting struck so many French cities simultaneously, =
said=20
security expert Sebastian Roche, a director of research at the =
state-funded=20
National Center for Scientific Research.=20
<P>___=20
<P>Associated Press Writers Jamey Keaten, Jocelyn Gecjer, D'Arcy Doran =
and John=20
Leicester contributed to this report. =
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