France Riot Watch: Train Terrorism on New Years Day

Riot policemen protect themselves from bottle-throwing at the bottom of the Eiffel tower during clashes following new year celebrations in Paris January 1, 2006.

The Washington Times: Gang terrorizes train in France

A gang of more than 20 youths — thought to be North African immigrants — terrorized hundreds of train passengers in a rampage of violence, robbery and sexual assault on New Year’s Day, French officials said yesterday.

The five-hour-long criminal frenzy was “totally unacceptable,” French President Jacques Chirac told reporters. “Those guilty will be found and punished, as they deserve.”

Why has it taken three days to report these crimes?

Bad news has a slow path out of France…….

Riot policemen throw water to revellers at the bottom of the Eiffel tower during clashes following new year celebrations in Paris January 1, 2006.

The gang of between 20 and 30 youths boarded the train, heading from Nice on the French Riviera to Lyon, in eastern France, early on Jan. 1, as it carried 600 passengers home from New Year’s Eve partying overnight.

Once inside, they went wild, forcing passengers to hand over mobile phones and wallets, and slashing seats and breaking windows.

A 20-year-old woman cornered by several of the marauders was sexually molested.

“It was a real scene of pillage on the train,” said the regional state prosecutor, Dominique Luigi, adding that the passengers were in a state of “panic.”

Chirac’s expression of unacceptable is ludicrous.

Mr. President, you have some real “law and order” problems in your country.

Tourism to France – Thumbs Down……….

Only three — two 19-year-old Moroccans and a minor, all living in France — were arrested. Both men were being held for robbery and one also was facing charges of sexual assault. The minor was to be judged separately.

Stay tuned….. France is only starting to feel their problems seen is last year’s riots and within their immigrant communities.

The opposition Socialist Party said it viewed the incident with “astonishment.”

It said “such acts show a worrying lack of security” and questioned why it took so long for police to rescue the passengers and why so few arrests were made.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who has championed hard-line security policies in France, partly blamed the state rail company SNCF for not communicating better with the police.

“The problem is that law-enforcement services didn’t know that there was a promotional fare going,” he said.

France’s Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy hangs a medal on a flag at Velizy-Villacoublay, western Paris January 4, 2006. Sarkozy attended a ceremony marking the 61st anniversary of the Compagnies Republicaines de securite (CRS), the French riot police units.