France Under Siege

At a press conference on November 6 in Elysee Palace, French President Jacques Chirac (right) said, with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin present, “We will take strong measures to deal with the rioting by focusing on restoring security and public order.” Riots have spread nationwide for 11 days since their inception. Thirty police officers were injured from attacks by rioters armed with shotguns on November 6.