Chinese riot 'more like pogrom'

A NEW insight into the rioting involving Chinese people in Paris, has been provided by French anarchists who were at the scene.

They say the theme of the protest, to protect their community from attacks, was reactionary rather than radical in nature.

Describing what they saw on Angry News from Around the World, they write: "All of a sudden people start running. We believe that everyone is fleeing yet another load of cops, but we realize very quickly that it is something else.

"Demonstrators are chasing kids, that they are calling 'blacks and Arabs', by throwing glass bottles. One of the kids falls down, and tries to hide under the porch of a doorway.

"Running to their side, we have to calm the fury of the lynch mob. They let go this time. "We understand, listening to conversations: that 'the cops don't do their job, leaving thieves at large, the protesters have decided to take matters in hand and avenge themselves.'

"We also understand that everything started from the theft of the handbag of a demonstrator by a kid in the neighborhood, then the attempt by protesters to deliver the kid to the cops, who did not want him.

"It is from here that the demonstrators unchained their violence against the cops. Unrestrained violence, such as one was not used to seeing. Violence to punish the cops for not doing their job well enough.

"The cops decide to retreat, flooding the place under a thick cloud of teargas fired into the crowd. More than fifty cop vehicles disappear in the blink of an eye, just as the violence was beginning to reach a peak.

"Clearly, the cops decided to abandon the place to let the inter-community violence unfold, while an hour earlier it was against the cops that everyone was insisting.

"This then led to a ballet between three to four hundred members of the Chinese community and some black and Arab kids, sometimes beaten to the ground by dozens of people and accused in a rush of being thieves, in front of thirsty journacops having smelt the smell of blood and large-titles, good scavengers that they are.

"But at the time of writing, nothing definite has yet emerged in the media about what really happened. We have seen some sort of makeshift militias, bringing together over a hundred Asians, to the neighbouring estate to beat up black and Arab people in a man-hunt reminiscent of the pogroms."

Revolt in Rosarno - immigrants rise up

AFRICAN immigrants have risen up in southern Italy in two days of full-out rioting.

The rebellion was sparked by a racist attack but reflects the horrific conditions and poverty in which these modern-day slaves are forced to subsist.

The Press Association reported at least 37 wounded, including 18 police officers in the Rosarno revolt.

Added The Independent: "In one of the worst-ever incidents of racial unrest in Italy, the violence broke out on Thursday evening after white youths in a car fired air rifles at a group of immigrants returning from working on farms.

"Two immigrants were slightly injured by the gunfire. 'Those guys were firing at us as if it was a fairground,' a Moroccan identified as Kamal told La Repubblica newspaper. 'They were laughing, I was screaming, other cars were passing by but nobody stopped.'

"In a furious reaction, immigrant farm labourers fought pitched battles with police that lasted into the early hours. Dozens of cars were smashed with bricks and bars and the driver and passengers in one vehicle injured.

"Yesterday, more than 2,000 Africans massed in the town centre to demonstrate against the shootings and their living and working conditions. Some chanted 'we are not animals' and others carried placards saying: 'Italians here are racist'.

"This resulted in further clashes with police officers and locals, some of whom fired weapons into the air as the tension continued to escalate. Sporadic acts of vandalism continued and schools remained closed."

Police station firebombed in Brussels

RIOTS broke out in Belgium on Friday night, November 20, over the brutal and racist treatment of prisoners by police.

A report on RTL info said youngsters had firebombed and damaged the main police station in the Anderlecht area of Brussels, having spread the word by text message.

The crowds also broke car windows and smashed up phone boxes and the state is expected to flood the area with extra police all weekend.

Anger erupted over reports of police maltreatment of prisoners at the nearby Forest jail earlier this year, during a strike by the usual wardens. A prison watchdog has reporrted instances of torture, degrading treatment and islamophobic insults.

7s7 Belgique reported that groups of rioters had met up around the Place de la Vaillance and near the Aumale metro station, before splitting up and reforming elsewhere.