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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill who wrote (712755)	11/12/2005 2:17:40 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 769668

nypost.com

To: Bill who wrote (712755)	11/12/2005 2:20:20 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 769668

Riot erupts in French city centre BBC UK ^ \| 12 Nov 2005 \| BBC News Lyon police were out in force already when the trouble erupted Police in the French city of Lyon have fired tear gas to break up groups of youths who hurled stones and bins hours before a curfew was due to begin. Police on the city's famous Place Bellecour square made two arrests in what state news agency AFP says is the first rioting in a major city centre. Lyon has imposed a curfew for the first time in two weeks of nationwide unrest. Thousands of police are patrolling Paris to enforce a ban on all public meetings likely to provoke rioting. Trouble began at about 1700 (1600 GMT) on Place Bellecour where a large number of riot police were on duty as a preventative measure. Around 50 youths attacked stalls and damaged vehicles, witnesses were quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. KEY FLASHPOINTS Maps of the riots Police take the strain Shoppers hurried away from the area and most local shopkeepers closed their doors. Officials in Lyon and 10 other towns to the east of the city earlier announced a curfew to bar unaccompanied minors from the streets over the weekend between 2200 and 0600 local time. The worst suburban unrest on Friday night was reported in Lyon and the city of Toulouse in the south-west. More than 500 cars were set on fire, two police officers were wounded and 206 people were detained across the country. This was an increase on the previous night, when about 400 vehicles were torched and 168 people were arrested. Paris curbs The Paris ban on meetings, imposed under new emergency measures, started at 0900 GMT on Saturday and will remain in force until Sunday morning. CURFEW LAW Cabinet can declare state of emergency in all or part of the country Regional leaders given exceptional powers to apply curfew Breach of curfew could mean two-month jail sentence Police can carry out raids on suspected weapons stockpiles Interior minister can issue house-arrest warrants for those deemed dangerous to public safety Public meeting places can be closed down House searches possible day or night Authorities can control media, film and theatre performances Emergency can only be extended beyond 12 days if approved by parliament Send us your views Police say they have intercepted e-mails and text messages calling for "violent acts" in the city on Saturday. The ban prohibits "all meetings likely to start or fuel disorder". National police chief Michel Gaudin warned the threat of violence in the capital was "not a rumour". The Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees avenue were among sites that could be potential targets, he said. The BBC's David Chazan in the French capital says the police have been highly visible on the streets and in the metro, the city's rail transport system, stopping people and checking identities. Mosque attacked In the southern town of Carpentras, petrol bombs were thrown at a mosque during prayers on Friday, causing minor damage. Nobody was hurt in the mosque attack in Carpentras However, it was unclear if the attack was linked to the wider unrest, which has involved mainly youths from ethnic minorities living in deprived areas. The unrest was sparked by the deaths in the run-down Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois of two youths, who were accidentally electrocuted at an electricity sub-station. Locals said they were fleeing police, but the police deny this. The nightly protests have gripped deprived areas where unemployment is rife and residents complain of racism and discrimination. On Thursday, President Jacques Chirac acknowledged that France had "undeniable problems" in poor city areas and must respond effectively.