cigalechanta

Here's the time line leading up to this horrible explosive situation.
I call it a city war.

http://www.ttc.org/200511051131.ja5bvpz25094.htm

cigalechanta

For those of you who were too young to remember the Watts riots of 1965, you must read this and understand how explsive the paris riot is.


http://www.usc.edu/isd/archives/la/watts.html

Spygirl

Cigale-please, I don't think it benefits anyone to over-react, and make this situation into something greater than it is for TRAVELERS. These riots are NOT INSIDE THE CITY OF PARIS. There is no problem for tourists who will be in the city enjoying their 5th, 6th, 7th, and newly hip 11th arr.

For France, this is a different matter-there will be much soul-searching and future govt. legislation to try to deal with the aftermath, and prevent such riots from happening again, but all this has NOTHING TO DO WITH TOURISTS.

There are places and situations in the world that should be of grave concern to travelers-but Paris is not one of them.

kismetchimera

You may be right Spygirl..But I am happy that I am not visiting Paris at this moment.
Normally I always love go to Saint Denis Cathedral is one of my favourite's places in Paris, which at this moment is almost like a war zone.

Seamus

If my geographic recall is correct, isn't the "big" flea market in this general area?

cigalechanta

spygirl, I already posted it was not in the inner city but trying to explain the dynamics of a highly explosive situation, and not a little unrest.

Frank

The United States on Friday issued a warning to Americans traveling in France to avoid areas in and around Paris where angry protesters have set fire to buildings and cars.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the U.S. Embassy in Paris warned of rioting in parts of the capital and beyond and urged travelers to move away quickly if they encountered demonstrations.

Asked to comment directly on the riots, McCormack said it was a French internal issue, but added: "Certainly, as anybody would, we mourn the loss of life in these kinds of situations. But, again, these are issues for the French people and the French government to address."

The eight days of riots began last week after two teenagers of African origin died while fleeing the police. There have been no additional deaths but considerable property damage in the subsequent upheaval.

The embassy message also urged travelers to be on the alert for riots in other areas such as the eastern city of Dijon, Marseilles in the south and Normandy region in France's northwest.

Lovejoy

Troll..

Alicia

I've been in (& all over) the city center (zone 1) for 4 weeks and have seen no indication of the riots taking place outside the city. Absolutely nothing.

I only found out from watching the morning news. The violence is occuring at night, and RER trains runnng to and from CDG at night have requested additional security. But as far as I've heard nothing has happened to rail service.

Nikki

One one of these threads someone posted that the RER was running a reduced service to CDG because of the riots, and stone throwers had attacked two trains. Some people were injured by broken glass, and a conductor was forced from the train. That is indeed information that a tourist would be affected by.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34701449

kismetchimera

This is the" Figaro", french newspaper web site..

http://www.lefigaro.fr/

Travelnut

"..They go and burn a helpless woman instead of getting a job.."

I was reading a book (or an article?) that compared racism in America vs. France. The gist of it was that racism is more 'up front' in the US, while it is more 'subverted' in France. There was supposedly a recommendation by someone (ie. politician) to remove job applicants' names from any application forms and resumes (use a number or something instead) because a non-French surname caused your form to go to the bottom of the pile.

One of the news articles from this week (re: the riots) quoted a woman who said she is French-born but married to a man with a non-French surname - before she married, she could find work (don't remember what she did) but after she married she was having difficulty getting an interview even.

I'm thinking people who are happy to let the State take care of them don't go around shooting police and burning property. A 20% unemployment rate implies there is a difficulty in getting work if one wanted to do so.

logos999

I do not think racism is an issue at all here. There are many people from the former french colonies in northern africa, who can't possibly make enough money there to survive. For decades they come to france to have a better life. From being poor among poor people they changed to beeing poor in France, instead of having a better life. You don't get money for free. No education, no wealth inherited from the parents, they will remain what they are, underprivledged and poor.

DAX

The unemployment rate for the african immigrants in these areas is actually 36% instead of 20%. I think the dissatisfaction/tension is much higher than what it was during the Los Angeles rioting.

mimosa

These are victums of bad housing and a lack of job markets, and predudice.
Maybe a nation that does not want them.There are No simple answers to this complex problem.

sfowler

Let's stick to travel.
If you check the ratp.fr site and click on "traffic" you will see that they are not running RER B to and from CDG after 6:30pm.

I've recently been taking the Roissybus which leaves you less than a block from the Opera metro stop where several lines cross. It uses the highways until it leaves the peripherique. It's currently 8.40 euro.

JeanneB

Mimosa: You said...
<<There are No simple answers to this complex problem.>>

That's exactly right. I think France is suffering a clash of two irreconcilable philosophies. On the one hand they've adopted an official state policy of "multi-culturalism"...i.e., immigrants are equal to those of French heritage and it would be unthinkable to ask them to change.

On the other hand, the French---more than in most countries---take fierce pride in their unique culture...in "being French". They go to extreme measures to keep out the "polluting" elements of other cultures.

It was only a matter of time before these two incompatible philosophies collided. Indeed, it's a very difficult situation. God bless the French.

cmt

This is an interesting article posted on another forum: http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.p...CTION=201.html

logos999

La France c'est la France, this won't change. Is this really a clash of philosophies? Don't think so, it's very basic. Everybody can be a good citoyen. Not to destroy your quartier and live and let live is a basic part of it. This is universal isn't it?

JeanneB

The Washington Post is now reporting that the "unrest" has now reached the center of Paris. Maddeningly, they only briefly refer to 11 cars having been torched. Fox News is reporting this now, too, saying the information was provided by authorities.

I found a blog written by an American expat in Paris (No Parasan). He reports that 4 cars were burned tonight near Place de la République. Ordinarilly I would not post something if I'd only seen it on a blog, but this is in the Post as well (just without any details).

I've felt all along that it will change everything when the government detects that tourism and the city proper are threatened.