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i'm living in Paris, and i lived in suburbans for a time so maybe i can help you to understand the situation.

First, Paris is perfectly safe... so don't believe the mass medias, they are lying on the situation.

Second, we french were talking about the possibility of riots a long ago, because, let's face it the suburbans are certainly the ugliest place to live in France. They are uge gray buildings, sometimes with no more electricity, water or sanitory. Near, these gray buildings there is no economy and no jobs. So the people here are all extremely poor.

Usually their family came from north africa or center africa. Sometimes they are living with drug money or they are stealing, but this is a matter of survival. When they are trying to find a job they have to face racism of the french population (which is certainly the biggest shame of our country), they are permanently harased by the cops, especially by the BAC (anti-criminality squad).
Well, this is the life in the french suburbans.

during the last 20 years nothing has been really done for them. And this is perfectly logical that, When Sarkosy call them scums, they all react in the only way of expression the state let them :
burning cars...
All the french and i say all of us weren't surprised with the riots...

You have to know that all suburbanites are implicitly considered as "potential criminal", they are 3 millions living this situation, and most of them have very good reasons to be afraid of cops.