Unidentified "youths" share with us the frustrations of group unidentification, their aspirations, and the dynamics of their high-spirited two-week esteem-building workout. Impolite language used.

'WE HATE FRANCE AND FRANCE HATES US'*

November 9, 2005 (Guardian) - Sylla, Sossa, Karim, Rachid, Mounir and Samir are the names they give. The oldest is 21, the youngest 15. One is an apprentice plumber; another is on work experience as a cook at a cafe in nearby Aulnay-sous-Bois; one is claiming benefit; two are (sort of) at school. Three are "known to the police".

Rachid: "Because we hate, because we're mad, because we've had it up to here. Look around you. This place is shit, it's a dump. We have nothing here. There's nothing for us."

Sylla: "Les keufs, man, the cops. They're Sarkozy's and Sarkozy must go, he has to shut his mouth, say sorry or just fuck off. He shows no respect. He calls us animals, he says he'll clean the cités with a power hose. He's made it worse, man. Every car that goes up, that's one more message for him."

Karim: "They harass you, they hassle you, they insult you the whole time, ID checks now, scooter checks next. They call you nigger names. I got caught the other week smoking on the train. OK, you shouldn't smoke on the train. But we get to Aulnay station, there are six cops waiting for us, three cars. They did the whole body search, they had me with my hands on the roof of the car. One said: 'Go back home, Arab. Screw your race'."

Djaoued: "It's bad [scil., the curfew], it's really serious. On the radio they said the last time they used that law was in the Algerian war. Is that stupid or what? Ninety percent of the people who live here are Arabs. What does that tell them? Fifty years later, you're still different? We're not allowed outside, and everyone else is?"

Ali: "It's so easy. You need a beer bottle, a bit of petrol or white spirit, a strip of rag and a lighter. Cars are better, though, when the tank goes. One of you smashes a window, the other lobs the bottle."

A Friend of Ali: "We hate France and France hates us. [He spits and refuses to give even his first name.] I don't know what I am. Here's not home; my gran's in Algeria. But in any case France is just fucking with us. We're like mad dogs, you know? We bite everything we see. Go back to Paris, man."

Sylla: "We burn because it's the only way to make ourselves heard, because it's solidarity with the rest of the non-citizens in this country, with this whole underclass. Because it feels good to do something with your rage. The guys whose cars get torched, they understand. OK, sometimes they do. We have to do this. Our parents, they should understand. They did nothing, they suffered in silence. We don't have a choice. We're sinking in shit, and France is standing on our heads. One way or another we're heading for prison. It might as well be for actually doing something."

[Emphases added.]

* Absolutely no Muslims sighted during the writing of this report.

PFFT (What is this?): Self-excusing pointlessness 5 | Empty Republican ideals 5 | Rayonnement français 0

Later, facing the gas station at a well-known meeting spot, 22 year-old "elders" try to reason the younger ones:

"Now they're imposing a curfew, and they're right to do so", says Mohammed. "It's senseless, those who did that have no respect, they have nothing in their brains".

(Le Figaro)

If setting fire to things is 'the only way' to make themselves heard, then by all means, that's the way to communicate. France should do what it so often instructs, and open a dialog - set fire to the "youths". This would be a fruitful conversation, I'm certain.

Well, that's some cute sh*t. Wow, they're pissed off because they don't have everything thing that they want.

Well, I guess that France could appease them some more letting them make their women wear full body pajamas every time they leave the house.

The socialist model in France has led to such wonderful things as:

1. 10% overall unemployment
2. 23% unemployment for people under 25 years old.
3. 40% unemployment for immigrants.

I love this part the best: "We hate France and France hates us. [He spits and refuses to give even his first name.]"

Yeah, that sounds like somebody that 'dialogue' will help bring into civilized society.

Meanwhile, France is still burning...

No it's not (well... a little). Meanwhile the economy is actually improving and heading in the right direction but nothing to brag about yet. Thanks for your heartfelt concern... will keep you updated.

Kind regards,

Z.