Paris Is Burning: The Aftermath of France’s Riots
Old issues resurface in a new spate of rioting.
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Paris Is Burning - In the fall of 2005, France erupted into a hotbed of unrest when bands of mostly African, Muslim youths from the housing projects of Paris’s suburbs took to the streets in anger over high unemployment and disenfranchisement, racist policing and sub-standard living conditions.Seven years later, as France prepares to choose its next president, BET.com takes a look at the riots and the state of the country’s race and class issues then and now. — Naeesa Aziz
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Shock to the System - Amid rising tension, the deaths of teens Zied Benna and Bouna Traoré, who were electrocuted after climbing into an electrical sub-station in an attempt to hide from police on Oct. 27, 2005, set off the initial violence that would last for 21 nights and force officials to declare a state of emergency.The epicenter of the unrest was Clichy-sous-Bois, a neighborhood outside Paris known for its run-down housing projects, heavy immigrant population and widespread unemployment.(Photo: REUTERS/Franck Prevel)
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Immigrant Angst - The areas outside of Paris (called banlieues) are largely populated by immigrants and their French-born children from nations in Africa (mostly North Africa and the Maghreb); many are Muslim. In these areas, unemployment is drastically higher than the national average, and residents report crippling racism and discrimination.At the time of the riots, despite boasting a population of nearly 28,000, Clichy-sous-Bois had no local police station or access to public transportation.At the height of the riots, then-Interior Minister Nicholas Sarkozy vowed to cleanse the banlieue housing projects, "with a Karcher pressure hose.” (Photo: Jules Motte/Maxppp/Landov)
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Catch a Fire - During the days of rioting, more than 10,000 cars were set ablaze and 300 buildings firebombed. Following the initial uprising in Clichy-sous-Bois, rioting spread to neighboring suburbs where similar conditions exist. In total, some 300 municipalities were affected by the violence.(Photo: REUTERS/Franck Prevel)
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Rap Catches Flack - In the wake of the riots, a coalition of 200 French parliament members banded together calling for legal action against several French rappers, accusing them of inciting the violence with their incendiary lyrics."When people hear this all day long and when these words swirl round in their heads, it is no surprise that they then see red as soon as they walk past policemen or simply people who are different from them,” parliament member Francois Grosdidier told the BBC."There had better not be a police blunder, or the town will go up / The city's a time-bomb / From the police chief to the guy on the street - they're all hated." From the song "In Front of the Police" by 113.(Photo: Jive/Epic Records)
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Moving Forward - Following the riots, former French President Jacques Chirac pledged to create new jobs for unemployed youth and railed against the “poison” of racism. Chirac blamed the rioting on what he called the country’s identity crisis. Legislators also pushed for expanded anti-riot laws that would punish anyone involved in and who encourages violence, not just the perpetrators.(Photo: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images)
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Déjà vu? - Despite the official actions and pledges, in May 2006, young people returned to the streets, setting cars on fire and pelting local police with rocks in anger after a group of 13 young men were rounded up and arrested. (Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images)
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Police Bunkers, Building Upgrades and Transportation - Things are starting to turn around for these cities as officials have worked to ensure transportation extends out to Clichy-sous-Bois, and municipalities have begun to invest in the look of the banlieus and renovate public housing.Clichy-sous-Bois has also received its first police station. The riot-proof police bunker was devised by Sarkozy in the wake of the second uprising. Before the development, residents had to visit stations in another town to file complaints.(Photo: REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier)
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Banlieues Still Feel Left Behind - Despite some of the cosmetic changes to the banlieues, residents say they feel their concerns are being ignored as the country gears up for this year’s presidential election. Many feel voters in these areas are not only taken for granted but are used as symbols to promote racial and religious anxiety."I can't hear anyone talking about our problems," Birama Fofana, a 38-year-old Clichy resident from West Africa, told the BBC.(Photo: REUTERS/Victor Tonelli)
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N----s in Paris? - French presidential hopeful François Hollande seemed to illustrate the sentiment that banlieue residents expressed when he released a questionable campaign video set to the popular hip hop track “N----s in Paris.” In the video, Hollande attempts to don a hip persona and features throngs of his alleged Black and Arab supporters.(Photo: Francoishollande.fr)
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Riot Stigma - The riots made a deep impact on the country and their legacy is still affecting how banlieue residents are perceived today.Diabe Sy, an immigrant from Clichy-sous-Bois, told the BBC that the town has become synonymous with violence. "If you come from Clichy, employers believe you are a criminal," he said.Youth unemployment in the banlieues still hovers around 40 percent.(Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images)
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France Sees First Racial Profiling Suit - A new, groundbreaking lawsuit filed by 15 Black and Arab French citizens who say they were unfairly targeted by police because of the color of their skin seeks to hold the French state accountable for the widespread harassment of minorities.According to the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), for many minorities in France, police stops have become another one of life’s daily routines. The claimants span all walks of French society, including students, a political aide, a delivery man and a professional musician, among others. (Photo: AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
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Fire Next Time - On Aug. 13, 2012, riots erupted in Amiens, a district of Northern France, after police conducted random searches on residents who were attending a memorial for a young man killed in a motorcyle accident. Rioters torched cars and buildings, and battled with police using improvised explosives and shotguns. The rioters were largely composed of disenfranchised youth, facing police harassment and an unemployment rate near 45 percent. (Photo: AP Photo/Georges Charrieres)