FRANCE: Security tight in northern Paris suburb to prevent a third night of unrest

A significant police presence is deployed in Villiers le Bel, a northern suburb of Paris, in a bid to prevent a third night of rioting. The prime minister and interior minister tour the area to give support to police and firefighters. Police stepped up security in northern Paris suburbs on Tuesday (November 27) to prevent a third night of unrest, after French Prime Minister Francois Fillon vowed a firm line against rioters who attacked police. A local official said five cars were torched and several rubbish bins set on fire in two towns, but the situation was much calmer than in the previous two nights. Dozens of police vans and police in riotgear lined the main street of the northern Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel. Around 80 police were injured overnight as rioters hurled stones, petrol bombs and firecrackers at police during skirmishes that left dozens of shops, businesses and public buildings damaged. One police officer was hit by a projectile apparently fired from a hunting rifle. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon headed for the second time for Villiers-le-Bel and visited a police unit to show his support to the riot police and the fire fighters. "I came this afternoon, I came again tonight to see, together with Michele Alliot-Marie, all the means put in place to secure Villiers-le-Bel and the towns around Villiers. I came, too, to support the policemen, the fire fighters, the doctors, all the people who, for the past three days, are working to bring back security," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, Fillon told parliament the clashes were "unacceptable, intolerable, incomprehensible" and could not be justified. President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet Fillon and his interior and justice ministers to discuss the crisis on his return from China on Wednesday, his spokesman said in a statement. He will first visit injured police officers in hospital. The violence, which started on Sunday (November 25) after two youths died in a collision with police, has revived images of 2005 riots when youths torched thousands of cars after two teenagers died electrocuted in a power sub-station after apparently fleeing police. This time, Sarkozy has called for calm and the lower key government response suggested it wants to avoid exacerbating tensions in France's deprived suburbs. Earlier on Tuesday, six Socialist mayors in northern Paris suburbs affected by the troubles renewed appeals for calm and urged parents to help them avoid more unrest.

ITN Source | November 28, 2007

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