Paris train-station riot shows smoldering anger

[Cirrus]

Paris train-station riot shows smoldering anger

PARIS — It began with a routine ticket check at a Paris train station. What happened next — rioting, looting, tear gas — showed the anger that erupted into violence in France's troubled neighborhoods in 2005 still smolders beneath the surface.

The rampage by youths, many apparently of African or North African descent, at a major rail hub Tuesday became an instant campaign issue in the French presidential race. It was a jarring reminder of the social tensions France's new leader will contend with when he or she takes power in May.

Front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy of the governing right called the violence at the Gare du Nord unacceptable. His main rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, blamed Sarkozy's camp, saying the right's policing policies were an utter failure.

Anger erupted after a 32-year-old man without a Metro ticket punched two inspectors during a routine check, police said. The man, an illegal alien from Congo who has challenged France's efforts to expel him, had been convicted in 2004 for insulting a magistrate, police unions said.

Travel | Paris train-station riot shows smoldering anger | Seattle Times Newspaper

[Susi]

Ugh.. and they wonder why people do not listen to their cause or what have you.. :\

[Leland Gaunt]

Immigrants from Congo are causing some troubles lately.

[svin]

Ugh... I still can't make my decision if such actions are good or bad. The more we have them, the more common people start seeing "advantages" of immigration.

[Leland Gaunt]

Yeah, I'm afraid that French people almost lost the control over their own country. Africans do whatever they please and noone is able to stop them. I am scared of this new France.

[Marcus Marulus]

The famous jeunes are in action again...

When I read reports in online French media, they often mention that "the young" (les jeunes) caused this or that trouble, riot etc.

Can some of the French member explain me what that is about? Why are they referred to as "the young people"?

Or is it just a politcically correct way to say immigrants? But then again, why don't they say just "rioters" or "troublemakers" or something like that, why is this referring to their age so important?

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by prometheus

The famous jeunes are in action again...

When I read reports in online French media, they often mention that "the young" (les jeunes) caused this or that trouble, riot etc.

Can some of the French member explain me what that is about? Why are they referred to as "the young people"?

Or is it just a politcically correct way to say immigrants? But then again, why don't they say just "rioters" or "troublemakers" or something like that, why is this referring to their age so important?

Yes, it's newspeak term for immigrants/arabs/blacks/extra-european people. Probably rioter is a too hard and chocking word for journalists and they must fear French people associates non-ethnic French with riot acts.

Remember for lefties they are desperate youngs who never act without any good reasons. Frustration, unemployement, provocation, mal de vivre. Blablabla. Conclusion: they aren't genuine rioters so they shouldn't be blamed but helped. The public opinion must have mercy and understanding for youngs, not rejection and reactionary feelings who would make them somewhat anti-alien, the opposite of what immigrationists want; instead people become anti-young and old grannies fear any young be it a black or a white.

Sarkozy called the trouble makers in the cités racaille (thug) once. The '05 riots began just after.

[Menydh]

It is Multiculturalism failing in front of the eyes of its promoters.

Why do you think that they are insisting so much in integration and assimilation lately?

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by prometheus

The famous jeunes are in action again...

When I read reports in online French media, they often mention that "the young" (les jeunes) caused this or that trouble, riot etc.

Can some of the French member explain me what that is about? Why are they referred to as "the young people"?

Or is it just a politcically correct way to say immigrants? But then again, why don't they say just "rioters" or "troublemakers" or something like that, why is this referring to their age so important?

Since at least May 1968 the French Left has had a fetish for young rioters.

[Señor Malo]

Originally Posted by A Few Acres of Snow

Since at least May 1968 the French Left has had a fetish for young rioters.

That is for sure yet, the rioters from may '68 are much different from those of today

[Franze]

Yes, these acts only make that people bash more and more immigration.

[Carnyx]

Fighting oppression and discrimination:

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by svin

Ugh... I still can't make my decision if such actions are good or bad. The more we have them, the more common people start seeing "advantages" of immigration.

It's a trade-off with a negative balance.

Unfortunately, it is necessary that they arrive in big numbers for people to wake up to the problem.

But it is also unfortunate that by the time that people realize, their numbers will be too high and the solution to the problem will become less effective.

Take as an example the last electoral results of Vlaams Belang. They obtained the same or even a larger share of voting support than in past elections. But the effective percentage shrinked with the immigrant vote in the cities.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

It's a trade-off with a negative balance.

Unfortunately, it is necessary that they arrive in big numbers for people to wake up to the problem.

Well, I understand you're Spanish and you are much behind us concerning the immigration flood entenring your country. What you say however doesn't prove correct, it rather seems the more there are aliens the more the people inforce the power of traditional parties yet responsible for all this mess. And it's not only because of aliens voting but foresmost because of native themselves.

So of sure more and more people awake, but still the large majority directly (or indirectly) approve of the current immigration politic in their homeland.

But it is also unfortunate that by the time that people realize, their numbers will be too high and the solution to the problem will become less effective.

You don't say. Damn too late.

Take as an example the last electoral results of Vlaams Belang. They obtained the same or even a larger share of voting support than in past elections. But the effective percentage shrinked with the immigrant vote in the cities.

That's why if you want to play the vote game a strong ethnic communautarism is the best thing whch could happen. We need them to have their own political parties (one for the muslims, one for the blacks, etc.) and them to gather all those who are used to vote for pro-immigrant left parties.

[Menydh]

Carnyx, I understand where you are coming from. I know that the big numbers of immigrants in France have not had the effect on people that you would have liked to expect. However, when I said big numbers I didn't say it just because of the volume, but the noise.

As their numbers grow, they create a system of voluntary segregation, by sticking together in ethnic groups in which they have a sense of identity that the multirracial society can't give them. It is there where the conflict breaks, and it drags the model of multicultural society to a failure.

In my opinion, it is not on multiculturalism that we should focus but on integrationism. Do you know of any multicultural society that has endured? I don't. Even with systems of segregation, they have all eventually fallen to integration.

Now, when you see parties from the establishment demanding that immigrants integrate or go, what they are doing is trying to stop the effects of multiculturalism which obviously leads to segregationism. They are pointing to a breech in the system of multiculturalism which they have helped to create themselves.

How noticeable is that in France? I think that it is fairly noticeable. You are not as "advanced" as you think. Yes, you have the numbers and in that you are more "advanced", but the noise has just started to be noticed.

I don't think that people "approve" or "disapprove" of current immigration policies. Rather, people are being entertained with the game of bipolarization of politics which pushes the issue of immigration into the background in the elections.