(Paris Uprising is not getting much Media Play - gec)

Paris riots continue for sixth nightLast Updated Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:21:11 EST
CBC News

Dozens of vehicles and garbage cans were set on fire as youth gangs and police clashed for a sixth night in poor suburbs ringing the eastern side of Paris.
Hundreds of police patrolled Clichy-sous-Bois, where the riots broke out, after two teenagers of African origin were electrocuted and a third critically injured while reportedly hiding from police within the walls of an electrical sub-station last week. Police deny the allegation.
About 60 vehicles were set on fire and 34 people were arrested as the fighting spread to other parts of the suburbs, which are mostly populated by poor immigrants.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who delayed his flight to Canada by several hours, met with the families of the two dead teens on Tuesday evening. He pleaded for calm after the meeting.
French President Jacques Chirac is expected to make a statement at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Suburbs home to poverty
On Monday night, young people threw crudely-made Molotov cocktails and set fire to cars and garbage cans and the police fired tear gas.
An officer was slightly hurt and 12 people were arrested.
The trouble began last Thursday after three Clichy teenagers were electrocuted. They had scaled the wall of an electrical station and touched a transformer. Two of them died. The third was critically injured.
Suburbs like Clichy are home to many immigrant families from France's former colonies in Africa. Poverty and unemployment rates are high and the unrest has revealed the frustration with police and the authorities.
The violence has highlighted the government's difficulty in improving opportunities in these areas.
Sarkozy's offensive on crime launched in October is one government response. He has ordered police to focus on 25 problem neighbourhoods in various French cities.
He has promised to investigate allegations that police fired tear gas into a mosque, which has angered many immigrants.
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