France faces its moment of truth, says Villepin

“The Republic faces a moment of truth … It cannot recognise itself in its streets and devastated areas, in these outbursts of hatred and violence which destroy and kill,”Villepin told the lower house of parliament.

“A return to order is the absolute priority. The government has shown this. It will take all the steps necessary to ensure the protection of our citizens and to restore calm … We see these events as a warning and as an appeal.”

Five cars were torched in Brussels in what officials say could have been copycat attacks, but the rioting did not spread across the border. Even so, fears of riots erupting in other countries helped push down the value of the euro.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urged Turkish immigrants living in Europe to avoid getting caught up in riots. Influential Muslim cleric Youssef al-Qaradawi called for calm and urged the French government to address the root causes. Villepin’s conservative government adopted a decree at an emergency session under a 1955 law that allows regional government officials known as prefects to impose curfews if they consider it necessary.

The decree was due to take effect at 2300 GMT, after the Interior Ministry decides where prefects can impose curfews not widely seen here since the Algerian war of 1954-1962.

Villepin said 1,500 police would be brought in to back up the 8,000 officers already deployed in areas hit by unrest involving poor white youths as well as French-born citizens of Arab or African origin complaining of racism.

Mayors of riot-hit towns welcomed the government’s tougher line. A town east of Paris imposed its own curfew on minors on Monday evening and another to the west of the capital organised citizens’ patrols to help the police.

Some 1,173 vehicles were torched compared to 1,408 on Sunday night, the Interior Ministry said. At least four police were hurt, compared with 36 on Sunday, and 330 rioters were detained. —Reuters