GeorgeWendtCFI
11-18-2005, 03:59 PM
I am convinced that we are witnessing the end of France as we know it. It is descending into a decline they will never dig themselves out of.
Beaujolais revelry turns violent
LYON, France (Reuters) -- Festivities marking the arrival of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau turned violent in the southeastern French city of Grenoble on Friday, when more than 30 people were injured in clashes between students and police.
The overnight disturbance was an isolated incident in a country that had largely returned to normal after almost three weeks of rioting by youths angry over unemployment and discrimination in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities.
Friday's violence broke out after between 2,000 and 3,000 people, mostly students, left bars where they had been celebrating the arrival of the popular French wine, which traditionally goes on sale on the third Thursday of November.
Youths attacked firemen called out to attend an injured person and began to throw missiles at police who arrived to back up the firemen. Wine bottles were thrown from apartment windows.
"Some of them were very politicized. Drunk on new wine, they wanted to make a revolution, a 'red Beaujolais' revolution," Commissioner Jean-Claude Borel Garin, the local police chief, told Reuters.
About 100 regular police and riot officers faced thousands of youths, using tear gas and other crowd control measures as they battled for several hours to restore order.
"We were confronted with a situation of rioting overnight. The roads were littered with broken glass, it was a real scene of desolation," said Borel Garin.
About 20 youths and 17 police were hurt in the incident and 21 people were taken in for questioning.
Beaujolais revelry turns violent
LYON, France (Reuters) -- Festivities marking the arrival of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau turned violent in the southeastern French city of Grenoble on Friday, when more than 30 people were injured in clashes between students and police.
The overnight disturbance was an isolated incident in a country that had largely returned to normal after almost three weeks of rioting by youths angry over unemployment and discrimination in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities.
Friday's violence broke out after between 2,000 and 3,000 people, mostly students, left bars where they had been celebrating the arrival of the popular French wine, which traditionally goes on sale on the third Thursday of November.
Youths attacked firemen called out to attend an injured person and began to throw missiles at police who arrived to back up the firemen. Wine bottles were thrown from apartment windows.
"Some of them were very politicized. Drunk on new wine, they wanted to make a revolution, a 'red Beaujolais' revolution," Commissioner Jean-Claude Borel Garin, the local police chief, told Reuters.
About 100 regular police and riot officers faced thousands of youths, using tear gas and other crowd control measures as they battled for several hours to restore order.
"We were confronted with a situation of rioting overnight. The roads were littered with broken glass, it was a real scene of desolation," said Borel Garin.
About 20 youths and 17 police were hurt in the incident and 21 people were taken in for questioning.