One of the email lists I subscribe to has members all over this planet. One of them is in the areas surrounding Paris where the riots are happening. His comments:
It's worse in some place, but it's very local, in fact the police has found a way to deal effectively with he guys, more than 800 arrests since 10 days in all France. What's very very disturbing is it's the first time those things are coordinated, it spreads and stay. Also beside the cars, it's against things which help people which is mad: associative premises, social aid, sports centers, schools, buses, immigrant workers housings - SONACOTRA not housing council - some entertainment places... in my city, beside others, they burned in a street next to mine only the cars or the red cross volunteers which use some premises in the building next to mine, it doesn't make sense.
Not it's not the revolution, even less riots like UK or LA have had. It's more insidious.
I'm regularly on the phone with a friend in the 93 (I'm in the 92), way nearer of the worst zone, he's disturbed but not a lot of things happened in fact in his area. He's more concerned by the fact some guys attacked public transportation, mainly buses.
What is really making me laugh is the State Department telling US citizen not to go in the 93... I wonder what the hell they would be doing there anyway save visiting the Basilique St Denis which must be closely looked at anyway.
Tonight it seems quieter, only a 30 minutes "rodeo" we have heard and reports are of calmer night elsewhere.
Although the guns have come out and several policemen were injured. The co-ordination behind these "riots" is more than good and that fact makes me want to take a much closer look at this... The rioters are all Islamic males; the media is alerted and show up, rioters converge and burn a few cars and generally hassle people and then the whole thing fades away only to be repeated a few miles away. This is the face of the enemy and they are testing us, playing with us and seeing how far they can go -- what are the limits of the French, how strong is their will?
