2005 French riots

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Les Voiles Blancs, 36260 Sainte-Lizaigne, France

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In October and November of 2005, a series of riots occurred in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities, involving the burning of cars and public buildings at night.
The unrest started on 27 October at Clichy-sous-Bois, where police were investigating a reported break-in at a building site, and a group of local youths scattered in order to avoid interrogation. Three of them hid in a power-station where two died from electrocution, resulting in a power blackout. (It was not established whether police had suspected these individuals or a different group, wanted on separate charges.) The incident ignited rising tensions about youth unemployment and police harassment in the poorer housing estates, and there followed three weeks of rioting throughout France. A state of emergency was declared on 8 November, later extended for three months, and the government announced a crackdown on immigration and fraudulent marriages.
The riots resulted in three deaths of non-rioters, many police injuries and nearly 3000 arrests. Although many of the rioters were muslims, the government denied that radical islamism was a significant element in the violence.

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