2005 French riots

2005 French riots
Part of civil unrest in France
A car in Strasbourg lit during the riots.
Date27 October – 16 November 2005
(21 days)
Location
Various cities and towns in France

47°N 2°E / 47°N 2°E / 47; 2
Caused byPolice chase of Muslim youths on 27 October
MethodsArson, rioting
Resulted inState of emergency declared on 8 November, rioting slows down by mid-November
Parties
  • Various groups, largely African immigrants
Lead figures
Number
25,000 rioters
11,000 police officers
Casualties and losses
2,888 arrested
Unknown injured
126 police officers and firemen injured
2 civilians killed by rioters[1][2]
1 civilian killed by smoke inhalation[3]

A three-week period of riots took place in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities[4][5] in October and November 2005. These riots involved youth in violent attacks, and the burning of cars and public buildings.

The unrest started on 27 October at Clichy-sous-Bois, where police were investigating a reported break-in at a building site, and a group of local youths scattered in order to avoid interrogation. Three of them hid in an electrical substation where two died from electrocution, resulting in a power blackout (It was not established whether police had suspected these individuals or a different group, wanted on separate charges.). The incident ignited rising tensions about youth unemployment and police harassment in the poorer housing estates, and there followed three weeks of rioting throughout France. A state of emergency was declared on 8 November, later extended for three months.

The riots resulted in more than 8,000 vehicles being burned by the rioters and more than 2,760 individuals arrested.[6]

  1. ^ "Emeutes de 2005 : cinq ans de prison pour l'agresseur de Le Chenadec". Le Parisien. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  2. ^ Benoît Hopquin (9 November 2005). "Après la mort de Jean-Claude Irvoas, des habitants affligés". Le Monde.fr. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Compte Rendu Detaille Des DEcisions Du Conseil Municipal" (PDF). Grandbesancon.fr. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  4. ^ Jocelyne Cesari (November 2005). Ethnicity, Islam, and les banlieues: Confusing the Issues
  5. ^ Canet, R; L Pech, M Stewart (November 2008). "France's Burning Issue: Understanding the Urban Riots of November 2005". SSRN 1303514. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ Oren Gross; Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (2006). Law in Times of Crisis: Emergency Powers in Theory and Practice. Cambridge UP. p. 200. ISBN 9781139457750.