French Riots of 2005
Everybody (including me) has stopped talking and writing about the riots in France. For good reason: the wave of nightly violence, mainly young people burning cars, has dropped to what’s considered normal in France (around 100 burned cars per night). But it’s worth noting what a horrific time it was in France.
Wikipedia has an excellent wrap-up, well worth reading.
[tease]
The 2005 civil unrest in France and neighboring countries was a series of riots and other forms of violent clashes between thousands of youths (predominantly of French Muslim background) from poor suburbs and the French Police (as well as the police of neighboring countries).
The riots began on Thursday 27 October 2005, and originally in the banlieues of Paris. They peaked on the night of 7 November, affecting 274 communes. On 17 November, the French police declared a return to a normal situation throughout France, saying that the 98 vehicles torched the previous night corresponded to the usual average. According to the official count, 8,973 vehicles were torched during the 20 nights of rioting, with 2,888 arrests, and 126 police injured [1].
[tease]
* Started: 17:20 on Thursday, 27 October 2005 in Clichy-sous-Bois
* Towns affected: 274 (on 7 November [31])
* Property damage: more than 8,970 vehicles (Not counting buildings)
* Monetary damage: Estimated at €200 Million.
* Arrests: 2,888
* Deaths: 1 (Jean-Jacques Le Chenadec, not counting Benna and Traoré)
This animated gif from Wikipedia shows where rioting occurred day by day. (Fascinating!)
