ABSTRACT
The three weeks of rioting in October and November 2005 were exceptional, even by French standards where protests are a living tradition. The very magnitude, intensity and spectacular nature of these riots drew the attention of the international press. But what made France the scene of these riots? Conditions of anger and frustration, a propensity for bravado and craving for media exposure are all permanent features in the lives of youths from poor neighbourhoods. So why in 2005 did it all blow up into short but repeated clashes, the burning of cars, spilling over its confines and expanding the epicentre of the riots? Why did the fires burn so brightly in the autumn of 2005 in particular, though not previously and certainly not to this degree? As often happens, local players and observers all claimed: ‘We saw it coming’. Many a time, we also heard the argument that media coverage of the initial clashes is sufficient to explain their spread among youth groups through a copycat effect. But why, then, did these dynamics not persist in 2007 and, moreover, why did they not occur to this degree between the years 1980–2004? 1
