French unrest falls to 'normal' levelsPARIS (Reuters) - Urban violence in France fell to normal levels on Thursday after three weeks of rioting in run-down suburbs, allowing the government to begin mapping out plans to tackle the problems that sparked the unrest. Ninety-eight vehicles were set ablaze during the night, a sharp drop from the peak of the violence when 1,400 vehicles were torched in one night on November 6 by youths who say they are excluded from mainstream French society.
"The situation has returned to normal because about 100 vehicles are set on fire each night in France," a police spokesman said. France's worst civil unrest in almost 40 years has receded since the government adopted emergency measures last week, although few areas have used the special powers, which include house-to-house searches and curfews.
Parliament extended the measures for another three months on Wednesday as a precaution in case violence surges again. About 9,000 vehicles have been set on fire and 3,000 people detained during the unrest, which has mainly involved youngsters of Arab and African origin, but also some white youths, torching cars and setting fire to buildings such as schools and churches.
"It was necessary to make a gesture to everyone and show we are committed to restoring order. I think the message has been clearly heard by everyone," government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope told France's RMC radio. President Jacques Chirac has been criticized for saying little during the crisis, which began on October 27 after the accidental deaths of two youths who were electrocuted as they hid in a power substation while apparently fleeing police.
But he raised his profile on Monday by addressing the "poison" of discrimination in a nationwide television address and announcing plans to create a voluntary task force to train youngsters and break down their sense of exclusion.
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