French-fried cars for New Year

2004-01-01 16:32

Paris - In what has become one of France's least agreeable annual customs, vandals torched 324 automobiles during New Year celebrations, the interior ministry said Thursday.

That was about 50 cars less than last year, and the vandalism was confined to 112 specific areas - usually poorer districts where the loss of a car or truck is a heavy financial penalty and can mean the loss of a job.

The ministry said at least 80 people had been detained for questioning about the arson attacks, and added that the figure was likely to rise throughout the day as investigations proceeded.

In the Paris region alone, 128 cars went up in flames. Thirty-four cars were burned in Strasbourg and its suburbs, which authorities there said was considerably less than in past years.

But the local prefecture said two firefighters were attacked and injured when they responded to one of the blazes, and a riot police officer was seriously injured on the hand by a fire cracker.

The worst mob violence occurred in Paris, police said, where more than 100 people were questioned and 59 detained following two clashes close to the Eiffel Tower.

Officials said 53 police were slightly injured.

In one of two major brawls, police used tear-gas to break up the disturbance, and detained 46 people, police headquarters said.

On the Champs-Elysees in Paris, about 20 store windows were smashed or damaged, but police reported no looting.

Despite the localised violence, authorities said the New Year celebrations were generally quieter and more lawful than in previous year, which observers said may have been due to a heavily reinforced police presence in expected hot-spots.

- AFP