A Look Behind the Riots that Swept France
By Brian Padden
Paris, France
16 November 2005
Weeks of rioting in France have damaged that country's self image as a land of equality and tolerance. The
violence started on October 27th when young people took to the streets after the accidental deaths by
electrocution of two ethnic immigrant youths who were apparently hiding from police. The rioting seems to
now be abating, but as VOA's Brian Padden reports, solving the problems of racial integration and
unemployment will take longer.
On the surface the riots in France seem to be self destructive, even mindless acts of defiance. The thousands of
cars burned belong to the working poor in the immigrant neighborhoods. The businesses destroyed, such as a
car dealership in Aulnay-Sous-Bois just north of Paris, employed the working poor. And the young people
who are rioting, teenagers like Youness and his friends, second- and third-generation immigrants from North
and West Africa, seem to be acting out of boredom as much as out of anger.
Youness expresses his fustrations, "Other people have lots of things but we don't have anything."
But the riots have focused the country's and the world's attention on the plight of the immigrant population
here, segregated for the most part in rundown neighborhoods. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, with the Center
for International Studies and Research in Paris, says it is hard for the French to face the fact that the ideal of
equality for all does not match reality.
"Very often France is blind to discrimination which takes place, and in which these young people are the
victims. The fact of having been born in these suburbs poor and alienated, your school, your housing and your
chances for a job are determined by where you live, and that is a very strong social determinism and a flagrant
inequality."
The heart of the problem is entrenched unemployment, which runs as high as 30 percent in the immigrant
community. Dominique Sopo, president of the minority rights organization SOS Racisme, says it has
destroyed the family structure and created an angry, alienated generation.
"Obviously a father who is unemployed is a father who is broken. He lacks authority with his children. And
the children feel that their parents have been humiliated."
Outside the immigrant neighborhoods the public disapproves of the violence and is concerned for its safety.
One French woman says, "...a lot of fear. A lot of anxiety. The fear that it will continue and that it will end
badly in civil war." A French man countered, "I don't approve of these immigrants. The people who are not
happy here should go back home."
Inside the immigrant neighborhoods the sense of alienation runs deep.
Even one French citizen identifies with the way he says immigrant feel and are treated. "Someone like myself
is not considered a French citizen even though I was born in France. And I am a French citizen. But the
French don't think so."
Many elected leaders, like deputy mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, Frank Cannarozzo, are fed up with lenient laws
that allow juveniles offenders to repeatedly break the law.
"If they cross the line it is over. In the case of delinquents who have been dragged 15 times before a judge and
who have been arrested again for violence, we need a different solution. These individuals should be thrown
out of the town or thrown out of France."
While authorities do not believe there is a link between the rioters and Islamic terrorist organizations, there is
concern that if France does not assimilate these young people, some other group will.
A Look Behind the Riots that Swept France
1. Complete a phrase using a preposition and words from the box below. Use a word from the
box for “……..” sign and a preposition for “_____”sign
thousands acts sense land ideal weeks disapprove problems heart plight
1. …………… _____ rioting
2. a …………… _____ equality and tolerance
3. …………… _____ racial integration and unemployment
4. …………… _____ defiance
5. …………… _____ cars
6. the …………… _____ the immigrant population
7. the …………… _____ equality
8. the …………… _____ the problem
9. to …………… _____ the violence
10. a …………… _____ alienation
2. Base the completion the phrase with a verb on the Russian translation
1. to ………. the country's self image – испортить имидж страны
2. to ………. to the streets – выйти на улицы
3. to ………. from police – скрыться от полиции
4. to ………. the problems – решать проблемы
5. to ………. the working poor нанимать бедных
6. to ………. out of boredom as much as out of anger – действовать и от скуки и от гнева
7. to ………. one’s frustrations – выразить свое чувство разочарования,
неудовлетворенности
8. to ………. the world's attention – привлечь внимание мира на что-либо
9. to ………. the fact – столкнуться с фактом
10. to ………. reality – соответствовать реальности
11. to ………. the family structure – разрушить структуру семьи
12. to ………. an angry, alienated generation – породить озлобленное и отчужденное
поколение
13. to ………. authority with his children – не иметь власти над детьми
14. to ………. deep - укорениться
15. to repeatedly ………. the law – постоянно нарушать закон
16. to ………. the line – преступить черту
3. Watch the video and answer the following questions
1. What are possible reasons for the riots?
2. What are the factors for inequality?
3. What do the immigrants think and what do French citizens think?
4. What do political leaders say?
5. What might happen to these rioting youth?
4. Match People in Pictures with their names and write down their attitude to the problem
discussed
a. b. c.
d. e. 1. Youness
2. Deputy Mayor Frank Cannarozzo
3. A French-born "immigrant"
4. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden
5. Dominique Sopo
5. Watch again and complete the following text and translate underlined phrases
Weeks of rioting in France have damaged that country's self image as a land of equality
and tolerance. The violence started on October 27th when young people took to the streets after
the 1……….. deaths by electrocution of two 2………. immigrant youths who were apparently
hiding from police. The rioting seems to now be abating, but as VOA's Brian Padden reports,
solving the problems of racial integration and unemployment will take longer.
On the surface the riots in France seem to be 3………., even 4………. acts of defiance.
The thousands of cars burned belong to the working poor in the 5……….. neighborhoods.
But the riots have focused the country's and the world's attention on the plight of the
immigrant population here, segregated for the most part in 6………. neighborhoods. The fact of
having been born in these suburbs poor and alienated, your school, your housing and your
chances for a job are determined by where you live, and that is a very 7………. social
determinism and a 8……….. inequality.
The heart of the problem is 9……….. unemployment, which runs as high as 30 percent in
the immigrant community. It has destroyed the family structure and created an angry, alienated
generation.
Outside the immigrant neighborhoods the public disapproves of the violence and is
concerned for its safety.
Many elected leaders, like deputy mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, Frank Cannarozzo, are fed
up with 10……….. laws that allow juveniles offenders to repeatedly break the law. While
authorities do not believe there is a link between the rioters and Islamic terrorist organizations,
there is concern that if France does not assimilate these young people, some other group will.
A Look Behind the Riots that Swept France Answer Key
1. Complete a phrase using a preposition and words from the box below. Use a word from the
box for “……..” sign and a preposition for “_____”sign
thousands acts sense land ideal weeks disapprove problems heart plight
1. weeks of rioting
2. a land of equality and tolerance
3. problems of racial integration and unemployment
4. acts defiance
5. thousands of cars
6. the plight of the immigrant population
7. the ideal of equality
8. the heart of the problem
9. to disapprove of the violence
10. a sense of alienation
2. Base the completion the phrase with a verb on the Russian translation
Answer Key
1. to damage the country's self image – испортить имидж страны
2. to take to the streets – выйти на улицы
3. to hide from police – спрятаться от полиции
4 to solve the problems – решить проблемы
5. to employ the working poor – нанимать бедных
6. to act out of boredom as much as out of anger – действовать и от скуки и от гнева
7. to expresses one’s frustrations - выразить свое чувство разочарования,
неудовлетворенности
8. to focus the world's attention - привлечь внимание мира на что-либо
9. to face the fact – столкнуться с фактом
10. to match reality – соответствовать реальности
11. to destroy the family structure – разрушить структуру семьи
12. to create an angry, alienated generation – породить озлобленное поколение
13. to lack authority with his children – не иметь влияния над детьми
14. to run deep - укорениться
15. to repeatedly break the law – постоянно нарушать закон
16. to cross the line – преступить черту
3. Watch the video and answer the following questions
1. What are possible reasons for the riots?
A: The riots are mindless acts of defiance, people seem to be acting out of boredom as much as
out of anger.
2. What are the factors for inequality?
A: Your school, your housing and your chances for a job are determined by where you live.
Unemployment, which runs as high as 30 percent in the immigrant community.
3. What do the immigrants think and what do French citizens think?
A: French citizens do not like that anxiety and are afraid that it will end badly in civil war. They
would prefer unhappy immigrants to go back home; whereas immigrants want equality and full
rights.
4. What do political leaders say?
A: They want stricter law on immigrants breaking the law. If they break the law they should be
sent home.
5. What might happen to these rioting youth?
A: Some vicious, terrorism-related group might take control over them and use for its purpose.
4. Matching People in Pictures with their names and write down their attitude to the problem
discussed
a. b. c.
d. e. 1. Youness - b
2. Deputy Mayor Frank Cannarozzo - a
3. A French-born "immigrant" - d
4. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden - c
5. Dominique Sopo – e
1. Yoness thinks that he (as well as other immigrants) does not enjoy all the rights and feels left
out.
2. Deputy Mayor thinks that stricter laws should be passed regarding the immigrants throwing
them out of the country for crossing over the line.
3. A French-born immigrant, though born in France, says that other people do not regard him as
a citizen.
4. Catherine Withol de Wenden speaks of inequality and discrimination.
5. Dominique Sopo thinks unemployment breeds trouble.
5. Watch again and complete the following text
Weeks of rioting in France have damaged that country's self image as a land of equality
and tolerance. The violence started on October 27th when young people took to the streets after
the accidental deaths by electrocution of two ethnic immigrant youths who were apparently
hiding from police. The rioting seems to now be abating, but as VOA's Brian Padden reports,
solving the problems of racial integration and unemployment will take longer.
On the surface the riots in France seem to be self destructive, even mindless acts of
defiance. The thousands of cars burned belong to the working poor in the immigrant
neighborhoods.
But the riots have focused the country's and the world's attention on the plight of the
immigrant population here, segregated for the most part in rundown neighborhoods. The fact of
having been born in these suburbs poor and alienated, your school, your housing and your
chances for a job are determined by where you live, and that is a very strong social determinism
and a flagrant inequality.
The heart of the problem is entrenched unemployment, which runs as high as 30 percent
in the immigrant community. It has destroyed the family structure and created an angry,
alienated generation.
Outside the immigrant neighborhoods the public disapproves of the violence and is
concerned for its safety.
Many elected leaders, like deputy mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, Frank Cannarozzo, are fed up
with lenient laws that allow juveniles offenders to repeatedly break the law. While authorities do
not believe there is a link between the rioters and Islamic terrorist organizations, there is concern
that if France does not assimilate these young people, some other group will.