From: Nelcya Delano ë [mailto:nelcya.delanoe@wanadoo.fr]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 3:01 AM
Subject: Paris Unrest


Very good question!
No, it's not just the US press, it's French press + political personnel
etc... and "les gens", who seem incapable of accepting these second or third
genreration adults and children for what they are: French citizens... It
really is part of the problem, though unemployment is major of course. Add
macho culture, gang culture, and total alienation with/from anything
institutional,(for a long series of historical, sociolgical and material
reasons). Add terrible housing and living conditions...
Add 30 years of government withdrawal from all these neighbourhoods, (post
offices, health centers, crèches, even commissariat de police). Last summer,
most subsidies for summer camps, schools, workshops, trips, parties,
week-ends in the country or by the sea were cut.
A friend of mine, who works in an Avignon banlieue and had a workshop where
he taught mime, acting and clowning explained that all these activities had
been scrapped by the Mairie was "a time bomb"': it was summer time, it was
hot and those kids, adolescents were left to themselves while the Theatre
festival was booming next door, with 30€ tickets .
Political parties and unions have deserted and or lost contact and or no
longer have enough funds themselves. This morning on the radios, most
commentators were regretting the Communisst party ex role as a social
activist and controller!...
The riots began during les vacances de la Toussaint...


Best
Nelcya Delanoë
US History Professor
Paris-X, Nanterre