PARIS (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared “war” on urban violence Wednesday after a weekend of riots, sacking the government prefect in a region hit by unrest and replacing him with a former police officer.
Sarkozy said the government would not back down following two separate weekend incidents in which rioters burnt cars, attacked a tramway, shot at police and destroyed government property.
“The government will continue to wage a relentless fight against crime. This is a war that we will take to the traffickers and criminals,” Sarkozy said in a statement after a cabinet meeting.
“The rule of law must be respected throughout the national territory,” he said.
Unrest in overcrowded high-rise neighbourhoods on the fringes of cites is a challenge to Sarkozy, who won election in 2007 vowing to flush out delinquent “vermin” with a power-hose, but failed to reduce violent crime despite escalating rhetoric.