Posted on 05/06/2007 10:30:22 PM PDT by Cincinna
LA COURNEUEVE, France, May 6, 2007 (AFP) - As news of rightwinger Nocolas Sarkozy's presidential victory flashed up on the television in the cafe, Gnyma Cisse buried her head in her hands in a mixture of frustration and fury.
"I'm disgusted," said Cisse, 23, who had gathered to watch the election coverage in Le Metro cafe which caters to a largely immigrant and first generation French-born clientelle in the La Courneuve suburb of Paris.
Cisse, of Sengalese origin, called her sister-in-law who lives here without French nationality.
"Pack your bags. The planes are already on standby," she said, alluding to Sarkozy's tough immigration policy and his decision as interior minister to step up the expulsion of illegal immigrants.
"There's nothing good about this," Meziane Ourad, an unemployed 50-year-old, said of the election result as he smoked one in a seemingly endless chain of cigarettes.
"France is entering uncharted waters. This is going to be an oppressive society," said Ourad, who brought his family to France from Algeria 20 years ago.
His only hope, he said, was that legislative elections in June would produce a National Assembly controlled by a grouping other than Sarkozy's ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and therefore provide a counterpoint to the powerful executive office.
"Otherwise, we've got five terrible years ahead," he said.
Karim, a 28-year-old fishmonger of Algerian and Moroccan parentage, said he could not understand what he described as Sarkozy's "hatred" of foreigners.
"Sarkozy says he likes the France that gets up early. Well, when he gets up early in the morning, he'll find that France is made up of black and Arabs," he said.
Like other high-immigrant Parisian suburbs, La Courneueve witnessed weeks of rioting in 2005 by angry residents who complained of being excluded from the French mainstream.
"I voted Segolene!" a group of young women of African origin chanted in unison, displaying their loyalty to the defeated presidential candidate, Socialist Segolene Royal.
"I really like her. She's not a racist," said Assetou, 19. "God knows I hope she'll be president one day."
Several locals predicted that the 2005 riots would revisist La Courneuve.
"With Sarkozy, the riots will be permanent," said Farid, 25, a delivery man.
Mohamed Mechmache, the head of AC le Feu, a grassroots suburban association set up in the wake of the violence 18 months ago ago, told reporters after Sarkozy's victory that France "had failed to understand the message" of 2005.
"There are those who live well, the rich people, and those who will continue to suffer a lot," Mechmache said. "The disparity is enormous."
That doesn't say much for the current system.
I keep reading about these riots and now after a FREE election, an election by the people. Yet, they still riot because they didn’t get their way! Did they ever stop and think that the majority doesn’t want “their way.” They are like children pitching a temper tantrum, but in this case the rest of the country told them;
“NO, You can’t have it your way.” Now they need to respond like responsible citizens, not children throwing a deadly tantrum!
Yesterday, according to police officials, around 10,000 persons organized protests against Sarkozy throughout the country, mostly in large towns and cities. Most of these protests, like the one I saw in my hometown around 10 PM, were peaceful - and very short-lived for lack of volunteers.
Where the protests were not peaceful, the French National Police said it was not because of suburbs hoodlums but because of political groups from the extreme-left, who were rallying behind Anarchist banners. Given the fact the Extreme Left parties have portrayed sarkozy as the new Hitler, I guess these guys portrayed themselves s the heroic Resistance members - until they came face-to-face and nose-to-truncheon with the riot police.
All in all, 270 persons have been arrested last night, half of them in Paris. As far as “mischief nights” are concerned, the night has been pretty quiet.
Remember that the socialist encouraged her supporters to riot in the streets if she didn’t win. They, like all socialists, slavishly followed her orders.
“I really like her. She’s not a racist,” said Assetou, 19. “God knows I hope she’ll be president one day.”
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The socialists don’t consider her loss a defeat... simply a challenge for the future.
Beware, FRANCE
The riots need to result in rioter’s deaths.
That would help put some reality into their faces.
This rubber bullets and fire hoses junk ain’t cutting it any more.
The unwashed and unemployed masses are all pissed off ..Too bad ..
Assetou, 19..yea at 19 she knows whats what in the world ..Spare me .
...as Mssr Ourad's keen mind was already busy juxtaposing the concepts of...job...50...couch...seemingly endless chain theory...
Writee failed to see the irony in this I guess.
Writer failed to see the irony in this I guess.
If Sarkozy delivers half of what he proposes these ingrates will find out what good government is all about.
France’s archaic employment laws are set to be changed for the better, employment and national income should increase, and thus the nation will become wealthier.
If England goes Tory, Europe could turn out to be a welcome, positive force in the world.
Just don't head THIS way!
If the police react like last year,then yes the roits will be permanent.If the police crush the roiters the first time there is trouble,then I doubt we will hear much more from the illegal trash .
In truth, the rioters will get bored and go home to get a life.
Time to send in the LAPD?
‘Hello Laziness’
Probably. But Paris stopped being France a long time ago. All joking aside, the French people are mostly decent folk, but the Parisians are the ones we think of when we stereotype the French.
Thanks for your report and analysis. BTTT!
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