Paris Rioting
 

I am considering traveling to Paris in December. I have to be in England anyway, so I thought a couple of days in Paris might be nice. The riots, however, have me a little concerned. Has anybody on this board been there in the last few days? What areas should I avoid if I decide to visit?

Thanks!

I haven't been there in the last few days, but if I were going right now I think I would avoid the RER from CDG. It goes right through the area of the riots.

Is this the area to which you refer?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051103/...nce_rioting_24

Disturbances have been limited to the suburbs. The stoning (or perhaps two?) late last night of a Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris RER train is disquieting, but it's a long time from here to December. Stay tuned.

This mornings Times said that it had spread to more suburbs and quoted a official as saying <b>&quot;now is the time to do something&quot;</b> !?? But then the article went on the say this:

<i>Car torchings are a daily fact of life in France's tough suburbs, with thousands burned each month, police say. Police intelligence has recorded nearly 70,000 incidents of urban violence this year, including attacks on police and rescue services, arson, throwing projectiles, clashes between gangs, joy-riding and property destruction, Le Monde reported</i>

I guess as tourists to Paris or the Loire or Dordogne or Provence , we are blissfully unaware!
I do hope they get this under control soon, I would certainly be worried about traveling there right now.

Maybe the hard line fellow (I forget his name) in government is right - it is time for the police to switch from rubber bullets......

I live here. Other than the suggestion that you avoid the RER from CDG (something I'd recommend anyway, lots of pickpockets), there's nothing for tourists to worry about.

Kate...&quot;I live here&quot;...go ahead, rub it in :D

We're leaving for Paris this Sun. the 6th of Nov. What is the RER? Thanks.

The RER is the commuter train. There is a line that goes from CDG to the city.

Only 1 in 5 RER's are going between Paris and CDG at the moment.

Pauley, I think you're wise to ask and be vigilant about security during your visit. Let's all hope and pray that these disturbances are over by December.

We're going in January and will be watching events carefully. If this starts affecting tourism in the city itself...well, who knows what the gov't will do?! I don't think they'll tolerate it if it spreads to central Paris.

Sounds a little scary to me...
&quot;The riots have spread each night, eventually surrounding Paris then, overnight Thursday, flaring also in Marseille, Dijon and in Normandy -- and even in central parts of the capital itself.&quot;


Overwhelmed police have found themselves powerless to stop the conflagration, which has seen over 1,000 vehicles torched and more than 200 people arrested amid fears that the country's racial and social divisions were fueling the violence, the worst seen since a 1968 student revolt.

wren, I'm with you on this one. This gets worse and worse each day.

I hope to god they catch the filthy animal that burned that poor woman.

How sad that such a wonderful area is going through such a horrible time. I have many friends who were in L.A. during the riots after the Rodney King trial. They lived in the suburb but as things got worse, they were getting very uncomfortable.

If I were in Paris right now, and didn't plan on leaving the main center, I would feel okay, but if I planned to take the train that pass through the outskirts, I might have a little apprehension.

Let's hope it gets under control soon, of course, the reason for the riots is not easy to solve and will take years if not decades to resolve...if ever.

You can monitor developments in Paris by going to the US Embassy in France website:

www.amb-usa.fr/consul/acs/new/francetravel.htm

This is the latest annoucement, and it's pretty mild:

what's new
Embassy Notices


Public Announcement - France - Rioting in City Suburbs - Nov. 4, 2005


Significant rioting that began in the northern suburbs of Paris Oct. 27 has become extremely violent, as angry protesters set fire to several buildings and hundreds of vehicles. Although the riots have occurred in areas not normally frequented by U.S. tourists, travelers should be aware that train travel from the Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city center may be disrupted at times, as it passes near the affected area. Travelers could rely instead on airport buses or taxis to downtown Paris. Americans should avoid the affected areas that include the northern suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis, (Clichy-sous-Bois, Aulnay-sous-Bois and Le Blanc-Mesnil) and also Trappes in the southwest of Paris), and should move quickly away from any demonstrations that they may encounter.

According to news reports, on November 3 the riots moved beyond Paris for the first time with reports of disorder in Dijon in eastern France, Marseilles in the south, and Normandy in the northwest. Travelers should be alert to news media reports for the most up-to-date information.

As long as you don't venture to the 'burbs, and take the airport bus or taxi from CDG into central Paris, you'll be fine.

The unrest (I'm not sure I'd call it rioting) is confined to suburbs that tourists never visit. The RER B commuter line runs through these suburbs, but it not generally affected&mdash;it carries a million people a day, and that doesn't stop every time a few teenagers break windows in those suburbs (they do that all year long, anyway).

However, riots or no riots, taxis are usually a better way to get into the city from CDG when one is arriving on a long and tiring flight and one has baggage. The few euro saved by taking the RER instead of a taxi doesn't justify the enormous hassle of doing so.

AnthonyG, what would you call a riot then?
By definition, a riot is 'when crowds of people have gathered and are committing crimes or acts of violence'.
I would definitely say that these are riots.
Throwing stones at ambulance workers and setting people on fire, is not just a public disturbance.

I feel so bad for the citizens of these towns, Lille and Rouen and the small pretty areas where they have quiet lives..
I cannot understand how this has been allowed to get so out of control.

Anthony, you must have a different TV, newspaper, and internet than I do. I think this is very much more than a little unrest and a few teenagers breaking windows. Perhaps the information I'm getting is wrong?