Sarkozy must not surrender the banlieues to criminals

The rioting in Paris is getting worse. Seventy-seven police officers were hurt after rioters threw petrol bombs and fired guns at the police. 

The use of firearms is a worrying development, signalling a possible progression from riot to insurrection. As is usual in these situations, there will be discussions about how hard the police tactics should be, or whether they should withdraw and adopt a softly-softly approach to policing the banlieues. The latter strategy would be similar to that adopted in Britain after the riots in the 1980s. This led, fifteen or so years later, to an explosion in gun crime in the areas left unpoliced.

Pouring public money into the areas where the riots occurred had little long-term effect. There are indications that the same would be true in Paris, as  Associated Press reports:

A recent study by the state auditor's office indicated that money poured into poor French suburbs in recent decades had done little to solve problems vividly exposed by the 2005 riots, including discrimination, unemployment and alienation from mainstream society.

These riots will not be stopped by more sensitive policing and largesse from the state. Before any measures to reduce the levels of alienation and unemployment are implemented, the police must restore law and order to the banlieues, otherwise much of the state aid will end up in the pockets of the criminals. The thugs who are throwing petrol bombs and shooting at the police must be defeated first.

The mistake we made in the UK was to let the rioters claim victory and force the police onto the defensive. We have been paying for that ever since.

Nicolas Sarkozy is often likened to Margaret Thatcher. For France's sake, he must not make the same mistakes that her government did.

Comments

[JuliaM]

I'd like to think Sarkozy will deal with the situation decisively and finally, but he isn't Interior Minister this time.

[JuliaM]

"Mr Ribeiro (police union leader) said police were facing a situation that was "far worse than that of 2005", which began in the nearby suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.

"Our colleagues will not allow themselves to be fired upon indefinitely without responding," he told the radio station, RTL. "

Not allow themselves to be fired upon INDEFINITELY..?

How about 'not at all'! Sheesh..

[aDM]

Good post

The only way to change the issues will be long term employment. But you are right about the way this ought to be handled tactically right now.

It will interesting to see how both Fadela Amara and Hafidah help Sarkozy in this issue.

[Les Bean]

"Nicolas Sarkozy is often likened to Margaret Thatcher. For France's sake, he must not make the same mistakes that her government did."

The mistake was to let them in at all. A tough response will breed resentment, a weak one contempt. There is no right policy with Muslims: they don't belong here and the more of them there are here, the bigger our problems will be.

[Rastaman]

The only way to stop this effectively is to do what the U.S. and other governments do, which is arm their police and teach them to defend themselves against attack by using deadly force.

In the U.S., riots no longer happen because the police will shoot dead anyone threatening them with so much as a stick, and they're right to do so. The French need to start protecting their officers instead of sending them into harms way without adequate defense.

If they continue letting their police get shot and not letting them shoot back, France is done for.

Rastaman
www.islamanazi.com