French Unrest Sends Shockwaves Across Europe
November 8, 2005 – The seemingly unabating unrest across France has sent shockwaves across Europe, with similar, though limited, incidents reported in several European countries.
Hundreds of Muslim and non-Muslim immigrants took to the streets of Amsterdam on Monday, November 7, to protest their deteriorating living conditions.
The protestors called on the Dutch government to change its policy towards immigrants, both legal or illegal.
The French government declared Tuesday a state of emergency in riot-hit parts in order to combat the worst outbreak of urban unrest since the May 1968 student revolt.
Nearly two weeks of rioting in the country's high-immigration suburbs has left more than 6,000 cars burned, public and private property destroyed, tens of policemen injured and one civilian death.
The deaths 10 days ago of two youths fleeing police ignited pent up frustrations among young men, many of them of North and black African origin, at racism, unemployment, their marginal place in French society and their treatment by the police.
Prodi has warned that an explosion of urban violence in Italy was "only a matter of time" as "we have the worst suburbs in Europe."
Security agencies across Belgium have been placed on high alert after Molotov cocktail were thrown Monday at two police cars in a Brussels district.
Also Monday, a police car in downtown Brussels was also put afire.
In another Brussels suburb, policemen exchanged fire with immigrants after security men tried to force a young immigrant to wash a car he had urinated.
Police forces were unusually heavily deployed in Brussels and high-immigration suburbs as a precautionary measure.
Many policemen have cancelled their weekly vacations and reported to their stations in anticipation of any emergencies.
Belgians fear a potential spillover of the French unrest into their country.
Yet, a provincial interior minister ruled out a repeat of the French scenario in Belgium, arguing that living standards were far better than those in France.
He advised the French to provide career opportunities for the young immigrants to bring riots to a peaceful end and achieve integration.
Many politicians and observers across Europe warned that the French unrest was a wakeup call for their own countries.
"France is not alone", Trevor Phillips, head of Britain's Commission for Racial Equality, wrote in The Observer newspaper.
"Everywhere, smugness about the state of race relations is being punctured," he said.
A prominent French anti-globalization activist blamed the worsening urban unrest on failed government's integration policies as well as the social and economic marginalization of immigrants.
"Riots have nothing to do with Muslims, Arabs or African immigrants as propagated by the media," Jose Bove said.
"The unrest has its roots in decade-old failed social policies to improve the situation in France's poor suburbs."
The government declared Tuesday a state of emergency in riot-hit parts in order to combat the worst outbreak of urban unrest since the May 1968 student revolt.
Meeting in crisis session under the chairmanship of President Jacques Chirac, the cabinet invoked a 50 year-old law originally drawn up at the start of the Algerian war which permits the declaration of curfews, house-searches and a ban on public meetings.
The measure will come into effect at midnight after the government has issued a decree setting out the geographical limits for the state of emergency.
Nearly two weeks of rioting in the country's high-immigration suburbs has left more than 6,000 cars burned, public and private property destroyed, tens of policemen injured and one civilian death.
More than 1,500 people -- mainly Arab and black youngsters -- have been detained.
The deaths 10 days ago of two youths fleeing police ignited pent up frustrations among young men, many of them of North and black African origin, at racism, unemployment, their marginal place in French society and their treatment by the police.
Bove, a farmer and unionist, blamed the unrest on social and economic marginalization of the African and Muslim immigrants in the European country.
"There will be no solution to the crisis in the near future unless the government changes its policies toward marginalized immigrants," he added.
The activist urged the French parliament to debate the root causes of crisis, describing the unrest as "a revolution by desperate youths who have lost all hopes."
Muslim thinker Tareq Ramadan blamed the entire political class in France for the riots, saying the political class has been "blind" to what has been happening in the suburbs, with their unemployed youth of Arab and African origin and bleak high-rises.
Bove also asked Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy to apologize for his anti-immigrant remarks.
The interior minister has been under fire for his "zero-tolerance" policy, which caused violence in the areas.
The French Communist Party, the Greens and the Socialist Party have joined forces, demanding the sacking of Sarkozy over his handling of the crisis.
He has been accused of stoking passions by calling troublemakers "racaille" or rabble, and saying that crime-ridden areas need to be "cleaned with a power-hose."
"Our French neighbors are giving us the loudest alarm call they can. Wake up, everybody."
Italy's main opposition leader Romano Prodi warned over the weekend that an explosion of urban violence in Italy was "only a matter of time" as "we have the worst suburbs in Europe."
Prodi, a former European Commission president, said: "Our suburbs are a human tragedy, and if we don't take serious action on social and housing issues we will have many scenes like Paris."
Bremen-based sociologist Lorenz Boellinger fears violence could flare up quickly in Germany.
"There is already an explosive mix which could lead to riots," he told Agence France-Presse
Boellinger called on German authorities to provide more help for immigrant families by giving them advice on life in Germany and setting up youth centers and youth clubs in immigrant areas.
Late Sunday, five cars were set ablaze in Berlin and six in the western city of Bremen.