Is Sarkozy addressing the ongoing violence in French suburbs effectively?

[loseyourname]

That was a very good link, Art. Something I've found informative is the NPR Page on the French riots. The archive goes back a couple of days and includes reports and, more importantly I think, interviews with many French people on both sides of the issue.

 

[vanesch]

Again, I would like to point out that in these violent riots, a small minority of people was actually involved which caused a lot of damage, and the main problem is in the long build-up of "unlawfulness" in these quarters, much more than "racial discrimination" or other often invoked problems (which ALSO exist, but have no direct link).

In a recent article in Liberation:

http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=338547

it is said that of the 2838 arrested people during the riots, 80% (EIGHTY PERCENT) is known by the police already for drug traffic and other underground economy activities.

This clearly proves that it is a matter of GANGS (organized crime) and NOT a matter of popular riots, racism, or whatever. Of course these gangs (which indeed mainly consist of youngsters of North-African decent) have all interest to shift the spotlight to racism or other topics.

 

[Art]

Again, I would like to point out that in these violent riots, a small minority of people was actually involved which caused a lot of damage, and the main problem is in the long build-up of "unlawfulness" in these quarters, much more than "racial discrimination" or other often invoked problems (which ALSO exist, but have no direct link).
In a recent article in Liberation:
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=338547
it is said that of the 2838 arrested people during the riots, 80% (EIGHTY PERCENT) is known by the police already for drug traffic and other underground economy activities.
This clearly proves that it is a matter of GANGS (organized crime) and NOT a matter of popular riots, racism, or whatever. Of course these gangs (which indeed mainly consist of youngsters of North-African decent) have all interest to shift the spotlight to racism or other topics.

I do not think it is as clear as that. We would need to know under what circumstances the 2838 people were arrested. If the police simply picked up everybody they had a file on or suspected were gang members then the fact they have records is simply a circular argument.

 

[vanesch]

I do not think it is as clear as that. We would need to know under what circumstances the 2838 people were arrested. If the police simply picked up everybody they had a file on or suspected were gang members then the fact they have records is simply a circular argument.

As far as I understand (not in the article, but it was on the radio too), these were arrests made "on the spot" of people rioting - at least that is what I understood.