Paris Rioting Spreads

02/11/2005| IslamWeb

Rioting in Paris is spreading across several poor suburbs and causing mounting strain on France's conservative government. This was the sixth night in a row of violence, with clashes now in eastern parts of the capital.

At Aulnay-sous-Bois gangs of youths burned cars and threw stones at police, security forces responded firing rubber bullets, thirty four people were detained.

The rioting started in Clichy-sous-Bois, but now with a heavy police presence there it is relatively calm. In all, four suburbs have been affected by the violence.

The unrest was triggered by the death of two teenagers - locals say they were chased by police and were then electrocuted on entering an electricity substation. Authorities deny the boys were pursued.

The Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has sparked controversy by branding the protesting youths scum. There is a heavy presence of ethnic minorities in these poor suburbs - where many suffer from a lack of jobs and complain of poor recognition in French society.

PHOTO CAPTION

Youths stand near the remains of vehicles that were set ablaze overnight in the northeastern Paris' suburb of Sevran November 2, 2005. (REUTERS)