France Riot Watch: Police Act Amid Fears Riots Will Reignite in Paris

A fireman tries to put out a burning car set ablaze by rioters in ‘La Reynerie’, a popular neighbourhood of Toulouse, south western France. Amid fears that suburban rioters might be planning to bring violence into the capital over a holiday weekend, French police imposed a short-term ban on public meetings in Paris.

The Financial Times has Police act amid fears riots will reignite in Paris

Paris police have banned groups of potential troublemakers from congregating in the city on Saturday after warning that France’s flagging suburban riots could reignite in the heart of the capital.

As France marked the end of the first world war with a holiday on Friday, the country entered a long weekend nervously hoping that the wave of arson that has scarred its poorest housing estates for more than two weeks would continue to subside following the adoption of emergency measures such as curfews earlier this week.

However, late Friday afternoon Paris police warned that internet and mobile telephone text messages suggested violent troublemakers were aiming to target Paris on Saturday.

Hummmm doubtful that such extreme measures would be needed in the USA because early measures to prevent the violence would have occurred long before.

Dominique de Villepin, prime minister, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after France experienced its worst civil unrest in four decades.

The police on Friday used the powers to issue a ban on any gathering of people in the city that could, in their eyes, provoke civil disorder.

The ban runs from 10am Saturday to 8am on Sunday. The number of police on the streets will also be reinforced. Violators of the ban will be liable to imprisonment of up to two months, and/or a fine of €3,750 ($4,400, £2,500).

Police said that what constituted gatherings likely to “provoke” disorder would vary according to circumstances. On Thursday, Paris police banned the sale of petrol in jerrycans at service stations

Unequal application of the law vis a vis the “right to assemble” will spell danger to the French.

Are any of the political parties going to press parliament for a NO confidence vote on the Chirac and de Villepin government?

Stay tuned….. violence may erupt again……