Tuesday, November 08, 2005

State of Emergency

In the UK councils slap dispersal orders on entire areas (collective Asbos) based on the complaints of a few residents. All young people are treated as criminals with no recourse to the law. No one says a word.

The French government, following 11 nights of rioting, have called a state of emergency to allow mayors to announce a curfew for minors in their districts in attempt to calm things down. The League of Revolutionary Communists exhorts people to brave the curfews and to demonstrate in the streets - at night if necessary - to stand against the law of 1955 brought in to quell unrest at the time of the Algerian war.

Geographically we are close but politically and socially worlds apart.

1 comment:

pat said...

i have to confess to being confused by this.
help!