The first violence erupted Oct. 27 in a northeast Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois as two teenagers fleeing from police were accidentally electrocuted at a power substation and died. The incident triggered the anger of the large African and Arab communities in the area. The following twelve nights have then seen riots widespread to the neighbouring suburb Aulnay-sous-Bois and other major cities outside of Paris, including Dijon, Marseille, Nice and Strasbourg, according to the BBC.
From last Sunday to Monday French officials’ record for car destructions as having exceeded 1,400, according to the latest report by the Associated Press. Meanwhile, among hundreds of suspects arrested, 52 adults and 23 minors have been sentenced to prison or detention centres, the French Justice Ministry.
The reason behind the riots is not fully understood. Since most of those involved in the violence were French youths born of Arab and black African immigrant parents, Christian leaders and politicians see the recent events an outburst of accumulated anger within the impoverished minority neighborhoods over racial discrimination and unemployment.
According to Catholic News Service (CNS), Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bourdeaux, president of the French Bishops' Conference, noted in a statement released on Nov. 5 that "recent urbanisation, employment difficulties facing the young (and) instability in the family are often cited" as factors for the unrest in France.Although the rioting neighbourhoods populated largely by Muslim immigrants, the French bishops advised strongly against viewing the conflict in religious terms, CNS reported.
Moreover, in a statement written in French on Nov. 7 by the Mission Populaire Evangelique de France (The People’s Evangelical Mission of France), the organisation acknowledged that "violence rules" over the troubled minority suburbs and cities because "work, decent housing, education and the mere humane respect echo like empty words there."
In a special National Assembly session Tuesday addressing the unrest, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin echoed a similar statement and said "The struggle against all discriminations must become a priority for our national community."
"They are a reality today for all the inhabitants of troubled neighbourhoods when they look for housing, a job or even when they want access to leisure activities," he said, according to AP.
