Apaisement

Readers will recall the destructive French riots of 2005, which were triggered by when two "youths" fled from police, broke into an electrical station to hide, and then were electrocuted when they touched the wrong thing. This triggered three weeks of intense violence, with thousands of cars burned and many people injured.

As one of our readers now observes, it is almost too absurd to believe, but in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, scene of the worst rioting, the French government has turned the electrical station into a monument to these two fleeing thugs who died entirely due to their own actions. "It's naked appeasement at its absolute worst," he writes.

And a few days ago, French presidential candidate Segolene Royal visited the memorial, laid a wreath on it, and commiserated with the parents of the two dead criminals.

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