PARIS (AP):
VIOLATORS OF curfews aimed at stopping rioting in France could face up to two months imprisonment, the Prime Minister told Parliament yesterday, adding that restoring order "will take time."
"We are facing determined individuals, structured gangs," Dominique de Villepin said. He vowed that France will "guarantee public order to all of our citizens."
HOUSE ARREST
Under the emergency decree adopted by the Cabinet yesterday, Local Government officials will be able to put people under house arrest and demand that weapons be handed over. Public spaces where gangs gather can be closed.
"You can rest assured that all these measures will be applied with a sense of responsibility," said the Prime Minister, whose announcements were greeted with both applause and jeers from lawmakers. "Restoring order will take time. It demands in-depth work, long-term work."
The state of emergency allowing curfews was expected to be applied selectively to areas still troubled by violence.
