France is burning…again.

Almost exactly two years after the 2005 riots, France was once again thrown into a period of civil unrest this past week, as a number of youths took action against public infrastructures, as well as actual police officers, in the Parisian suburb of Villiers-le-Bel.

This situation is eerily reminiscent of the 2005 riots, when two teenage boys died while trying to escape from police chasing them. What followed was an eruption that had not been known to France in a long time, expanding throughout the country. For about five weeks, youths expressed their anger towards public authorities and the State by burning cars and other public buildings, leading the president to reinstate the state of emergency that had not been used since the Algerian war!

This time around, anger escalated quickly, but has not so far stretched out through France. The riots were triggered by another encounter between two youths and police officers, when the two youths were killed riding a motorcycle that collided with a police car. According to the rioters, the police fled the scene without ensuring that appropriate medical care was given to the two youths, who were fatally injured in the crash.

Quickly following the crash, groups of youths from this suburb organized themselves against the police, attacking a number of local buildings such as libraries, and using various weapons against police officers, including Molotov Cocktails. This continued over several nights after the incident. While enquiries are being made into the nature of the accident, obviously strong reprisals are taken against the rioters, with a number already being sentenced.

What is important to note here, however, is that the main issues leading to the 2005 riots have not yet been dealt with. French youths, especially those of foreign origin, are feeling abandoned by the State, and face extremely high levels of discrimination in employment, housing and education as well as constant harassment by the police. After 2005, many promises were made to attempt to rehabilitate the economic and social slump existing in the suburbs, but these promises have not yet been kept.

While the current uprisings seem to have quieted for the moment, I can only wonder, when will the next round be?