French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday the state of emergency declared during recent riots will be maintained through the forthcoming holidays.

The state of emergency would remain in place "for a relatively simple reason: we will be very vigilant regarding the year-end celebrations," Sarkozy told French radio France-Inter.

"Honest people must be able to celebrate without being poisoned by a minority that want to terrorize through gang law, the law of the strongest and the law of violence," the interior minister said.

The French government declared the state of emergency on Nov. 9 to end the country's worst riots in four decades. It has been extended until February although it is no longer being applied anywhere.

Source: Xinhua