Clichy-sous-Bois, the Paris suburb that ignited angry rioting amongst France's young minorities in 2005, is still waiting on the government to provide for its struggling populace.
"It's been two years since angry black and Arab youths went on a rampage in this town of 29,000, igniting riots that spread across France. There's still no sign of the police station then- President Jacques Chirac promised in 2005."
"Now France has a new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, 52, who promised to better integrate disaffected minorities. While he's off to a flying start on several fronts -- pushing changes in taxes and pensions, seeking a new treaty for the European Union, attending his first United Nations general session this week -- his whirlwind approach after four months in office hasn't reached Clichy-sous-Bois."
"Clichy-sous-Bois has one of the nation's highest crime rates, among the lowest average incomes and the largest proportion --50 percent -- of under-25-year-olds."
"Claude Dilain, the Socialist mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, says there's an invisible barrier that keeps France's poor, immigrant communities in densely packed suburbs known as 'banlieues' out of sight and out of mind."
