Pirates!

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

Drugs and stolen car business, stefan... I'm surprised you find that shocking.

[stefanhendriks]

i'm more 'shocked' that it seems to be 'spreading'. Besides that, who thinks that a dutch man should not be shocked by criminal activities!?

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

Riots are continuing, and the country has not been inflicted that material destruction since WW2.

The president announced today that France is declared in "state of emergency" for two weeks, that delay being extendable.

What this measure allows:

The "préfets" (heads of regional police forces) can forbid the circulation of people and vehicles in any place for any delay at their discretion, and to ban people(s) from a place or a region.

Nightly perquisitions are allowed.
The ministry of the Interior (that right-wing cowboy Sarkozy) can forbid people to leave their home, order the closing of show rooms, theaters, bars and "meeting places" (vague), and command the population to bring all their weapons to the police.

It is also possible to take "any measure to ensure the control of mainstream press and publications of all nature".

Violations of state of emergency restrictions are punished by eight days to two months of inprisonment and a fine.

Comments are superfluous, I suppose...


*edit* I've just read that two youngs who were calling for revolt on their blogs have been put under arrest.

*edit, hours later. Just thinking about it.*
When the government violates the rights of the people, insurrection is for the people the most sacred of the rights and the most essential of the duties.
-- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789.

[stefanhendriks]

wow. Well that means keep your mouth shut for 2 weeks. Though they are emmergancy meassures, it surely breaks human rights in general...

[von Ryan]

Dude, just a quick note, next week I'll post a full text on that. Watch out for that "state of emergency" thing, we had a cue here that started that way (search for Getúlio Vargas and/or Estado Novo ("new state") on wikipedia or google). Not the military one that lasted for decades, this one lasted for 15 years.

[botmeister]

When the government violates the rights of the people, insurrection is for the people the most sacred of the rights and the most essential of the duties.
-- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789.

Be careful citizen, those thoughts can get you arrested.

When it comes down to it, the ruling establishment will try and do whatever it takes to remain in power. If a "state of emergency" can be imposed by decree, then it was always in effect, but ignored.