French government vows to restore order, justice over suburb violence

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told the Senate on Thursday after seven straight nights of violence in Paris suburbs that the state would not give in and that "order and justice will be the final word".

The French government gives priority to the return of calm and restoration of public order, said Villepin, vowing that the republic "will not give in".

"Order and justice will be the final word," he said.

He acknowledged that people living in high-immigrant areas need security, recognition, hope, respect and future and promised to further help the teachers, police officers, public service agents in these areas and help the youth who apply for formation and job.

He also said that the clashes, in which hundreds of cars have been torched, a police station wrecked and live bullets fired at officers, were "unacceptable" and that restoring order was the government's "absolute top priority".

According to Paris police, four gunshots were fired on Wednesday night, which had missed their targets. The police fired rubber bullets when they felt threatened by advancing mobs and nine people were injured in the clashes, they said.

Overnight Wednesday, more than 1,300 police wielding shields and teargas grenades battled youths in at least nine suburbs, and at least 315 cars went up in flames in dozens of towns to the north, east, west and south of Paris as well as a commercial center was vandalized, a fire service spokesman said.

The violence first started on Thursday night in Clichy-sous- Bois in northeast Paris, an area which is home to many Muslim immigrants from North Africa.

Two local teenagers, 15 and 17, were accidentally electrocuted Thursday while they were trying to run away from police. The incident has sparked fresh waves of violent protests in areas around Paris.

French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday called for calm amid rising violence, while Villepin and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy canceled their trips to other countries.

Source: Xinhua