France Goes Into 3rd Day of Post-Election Riots

Since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy to presidency of France there has been non-stop riots. Sarkozy was the Minister of the Interior when he called the rioters of 2005 "scum." The burning cars of Paris highlighted the segregation and racism that is prevalent in France.

From a May 8, 2007 metro.co.uk report:
"More riots in France over Sarkozy" —

France's defeated Socialists called for an end to violence yesterday after rioters took to the streets for a second night in protest at the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president.

About 500 youths shouting 'Sarko fascist!' went on a rampage in the Bastille district of eastern Paris, looting two stores including a supermarket and smashing windows.

From a May 9, 2007 Union-Tribune report:
"Post-election violence continues for third night in France, with 200 cars burned" —

PARIS – Violence hit France for a third night following the election of conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, with about 200 vehicles torched by vandals and more than 80 people taken in for questioning nationwide, the interior minister said Wednesday.

The violence has largely been carried out by those in the left-wing and anarchists angered by Sarkozy's win in presidential elections on Sunday. Sarkozy's detractors criticize his free-market reforms and tough line on crime.

I must admit I was shocked by the riots of 2005 since I was in Paris visiting an old customer/friend from my bookstore in 2004 and didn't see really any blacks at all... and I was looking! Only to find out later that just 20 minutes away from the Champs-Elysées where I visited is a whole neighborhood full of Blacks. As a tourist, it seems that it is easy to miss the suburbs where Black people in Paris live. (The suburbs in Paris are the reverse of America-type suburbs. In America, the suburbs are where the middle class and well-off live. In most of the world the suburbs are where the extremely poor live and the middle-class and wealthy live in the cities.)

Blacks, Algerian-descendants, and other people of African descent are segregated and discriminated against on a systematic basis in France. It finally came to a head in 2005 and caused the riots (with slight sympathy to what happened here after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana). Now, with a new America-leaning president, the riots are back. But why and how is America and France hiding the story? How many headlines on the Internet and television are talking about this very important story?

From a May 8, 2007 Newsbusters report:
(a conservative-leaning news organization)
"France Bans Non-reporters from Covering Riots" —

Following the election of conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy to France's presidency, there have been a series of riots from angry protesters upset at his victory. Unfortunately, it's a little hard to know much about the rioters due to the French government's passing a law that makes it a crime to report on riots unless you are a professional journalist.