 "Photo: KRT")
When students travel abroad, they expect to expand their educational perspectives and broaden their world outlook. Few, however, expect to get a first-hand look at social upheaval.
Such is the reality for students studying abroad in France, a country in the midst of violent and destructive demonstrations. For the past two weeks, bands of suburban youths have taken to the streets, burning cars and buildings to voice their frustration over current social conditions.
"The riots aren't about a bunch of young people flouting authority because they are bored; it is a demand for the government to address the problems facing the underprivileged in France," said Jeanette Marrone, A&S '07, in an e-mail. Marrone is studying in Paris for the year.
Though the violence has not directly affected any Boston College student studying in Paris, many are aware of the social reality that surrounds them. "Racial discrimination is commonplace, even against French born minorities," said Jonathan Barry, A&S '07, also in an e-mail. Barry is also currently in Paris. "This problem has been building for a long time. All it needed was a spark to set it off," he said.
That came on Oct. 27 when two teenagers were accidentally electrocuted after hiding from police in a power substation. Disillusioned youth in nearby slums used the incident as a rallying point, setting vehicles and shops ablaze in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
The rioters, despite pleas from government officials, have continued to set everything from buses to nursery schools on fire for the past 14 nights. The violence peaked Monday night, when a 61-year-old man became the first fatality of the riots. He was attacked while attempting to put out a trash can fire.
Also that night, 1,170 cars were torched as violence spread into almost 300 towns in the outskirts of Paris.
Though French officials have publicly denounced the rioters, many feel that the flames are giving voice to an underrepresented sector of French minorities.
Accusations of widespread discrimination, especially in the workforce, have come to light as a result of the demonstrations.
"The riots have raised important questions about how minorities are treated in French society, which the government can no longer ignore," said Marrone.
The tensions have boiled-over in France because of its history of social division, said Marian St. Onge, director of the Center for International Partnerships and Programs (CIPP). Because of the strong nationalism felt by many French, there is an emphasis on maintaining a superior culture. This has manifested itself in exclusion of some, especially Arab and African immigrants, she said.
"What's coming to the forefront with this, and its something I've never seen before, is that these people aren't given the opportunity to be part of that French culture," she said.
The result is young French citizens, mostly of Arab or African descent, violently reacting to their marginalized status, she said.
St. Onge and other officials in the CIPP have communicated with every student studying in France to verify their well-being. Also, an on-site coordinator is in contact with students on a daily basis.
Dealing with places of social unrest is nothing new for the CIPP, which sends about 1,000 students abroad each year. About three years ago, worries surfaced about students in Ecuador after the economy collapsed, the president was thrown out, and a nearby volcano erupted. No students left the program, said St. Onge.
"Our students have been in many places in the world with unstable situations, and these situations, while they can be trying and sometimes frightening, are challenging, and they are enormously valuable life lessons," she said.
One student found this lesson by analyzing the coverage of the French media.
"The headlines here are much milder and, in general, I think the treatment of the issue has been less dramatic than the coverage I've read on CNN.com," said Marrone. "I think they have been trying to keep things calm and orderly as much as possible."
For Barry, dialogue on the issue has been flowing even before the riots began. "We had a discussion regarding the conditions in the banlieu during a class less than a month ago," he said. "Most everyone agreed something needed to be done about the way immigrants and minorities are treated."
CIPP officials hope that this dialogue continues and influences students in their own lives.
"When you see something like this happen in another country, you say, 'Isn't this terrible, the French are so racist and all these poor Arabs live in poverty stricken ghettos,'" said St. Onge. "The fact of the matter is that these are situations that are comparable to many places in the world and certainly in our own cities as well."
Despite the destructive aspects of the violence, St. Onge sees the possibility for positive change. Similar to the manner in which Hurricane Katrina emphasized the plight of the underprivileged, the violence in France has underscored the social inequalities that have existed for years. "Good things can come out of terrible things; disasters offer opportunities," she said.
As of Wednesday night, the violence appeared to be subsiding. Though street clashes continued, the number of vehicles burned dropped from the previous night.
This came a day after the French government declared a state of emergency, effectively giving the 8,000 deployed police increased power to quell insurrection. For the next 10 days, police have the right to enforce curfews in targeted areas, limit the movement of people and vehicles, and place suspects under house arrest.
Another aspect of the plan to stop violence involves a massive urban redevelopment initiative.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said he wants to speed up the $35.5 billion plan, as well as triple the number of merit scholarships for students and offer more jobs, training, or internships to young citizens.
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