Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Mon., Nov. 7, 2005
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 11-7-05
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Urban Unrest Escalates in France as Riots Continue for 11th
Straight Night
Bush Fails to Revive Free Trade Talks in Latin America Amid
Mass Protests
The Fox In The Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy
Urban Unrest Escalates in France as Riots Continue
for 11th Straight Night
Urban unrest escalated around France this weekend as youths
continued rioting throughout the country for an eleventh straight
night. Over 3,300 cars had been destroyed throughout the country,
along with dozens of public buildings and private businesses.
More than 300 people have been detained. We go to Paris to
speak with Christian Science Monitor correspondent, Peter
Ford. [includes rush
transcript]
Urban unrest escalated around France this weekend as youths
continued rioting throughout the country for an eleventh straight
night. On Sunday, rioters opened fire on police in a working-class
suburb of Paris, wounding ten officers. On Saturday night,
rioting spread from the Paris suburbs into the more well-off
districts. Also on Saturday, the rioting reached inside the
French capital for the first time, with youths setting fire
to more than 30 cars in central Paris. There were also reports
of unrest in the cities of Cannes, Nice, Marseille, Lille
and Strasbourg. By Sunday, 3,300 cars had been destroyed throughout
the country, along with dozens of public buildings and private
businesses. More than 300 people have been detained.
The New York Times reports the unrest is one of the most
serious challenges to governmental authority in France in
nearly 40 years. Many politicians have warned that the unrest
may be coalescing into an organized movement, citing Internet
chatter that is urging other poor neighborhoods across France
to join in.
The violence started October 27 following the deaths of two
teenagers - one of Mauritanian origin and the other of Tunisian
origin - in the poor area of Clichy-sous-Bois. The two teens
were electrocuted in a power grid while fleeing from police.
The suburbs are home to a large West African and North African
community, plagued by chronic unemployment and poverty. Unemployment
in the neighborhoods is double and sometimes triple the 10
percent national average, while incomes are about 40 percent
lower. France is home to the largest immigrant community in
Europe, which makes up 10 percent of its 60 million population.
One of France's largest Muslim organizations issued a fatwa
condemning the violence saying, "It is strictly forbidden
for any Muslim... to take part in any action that strikes
blindly at private or public property or that could threaten
the lives of others."
Meanwhile, the French government has come under increasing
fire for its handling of the situation. Opposition parties
have called for Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy to resign
after calling the rioters "scum" last week. And
French president Jacques Chirac was roundly criticized for
not speak publicly about the unrest until yesterday after
an emergency meeting with top members of his cabinet.
- Jacques Chirac, French President, November 6, 2005.
- Nicolas Sarkozy, French Interior Minister, November 6,
2005.
We go to Paris to get a report from the ground.
Bush Fails to Revive Free Trade Talks in Latin America
Amid Mass Protests
President Bush's trip to Argentina ended without any agreement
on reviving talks to create a regional free trade zone. On
Friday, as many as 40,000 demonstrators filled the streets
of Mar del Plata. We go to Argentina to speak with Beverly
Keene, one of the organizers the alternative People's Summit.
[includes rush
transcript]
President Bush failed to persuade other leaders attending
the Summit of the Americas meeting in Argentina this past
weekend to resume talks around achieving a hemisphere-wide
free trade agreement. Bush was hoping to persuade his Latin
American and Caribbean counterparts to endorse the Free Trade
Area of the Americas or FTAA plan. The FTAA would be larger
than the European Union but without the free flow of labor
and political integration. The plan would get rid of tariffs
and other barriers that limit entry of American goods and
services allowing American exports to the region to bloom.
Critics have spoken out against the FTAA saying that it would
do little to alleviate poverty in Latin America while opening
up huge markets for American companies.
Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez has called the agreement
an "annexationist plan" which would destroy local
industry, roll back social safety nets and labor protections
and permanently extend American political domination of the
region to the economic realm. On Friday, Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez led a rally of 25,000 people to protest Bush and
the FTAA.
- Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, November 4, 2005.
The alternative People's Summit took place in Argentina last
week as well. Thousands came from all over the continent to
discuss issues such as opposition to imperialism, employment
and wealth distribution, environmental degradation and debt
forgiveness.
- Beverly Keene, coordinator with Jubilee
South/Americas and a member of the organizing committee
for the People's Summit.
The Fox In The Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens
Democracy
We speak with Si Kahn and Elizabeth Minnich, authors of
the new book, "The Fox In The Henhouse: How Privatization
Threatens Democracy" that exposes the damage privatization
has done in several areas of society including, schools, prisons
and the military. [includes rush transcript]
We speak with Si Kahn and Elizabeth Minnich, authors of
the new book, "The Fox In The Henhouse: How Privatization
Threatens Democracy." In the book the authors expose
the damage privatization has done in several areas of society
including, schools, prisons and the military. The authors
argue that instead of privatization serving the public good,
it rewards powerful corporations intent on replacing the government
with a "private profit culture," in which there
is limited public accountability.
- Si Kahn, Co-Author, "The Fox In The Henhouse: How
Privatization Threatens Democracy." He has worked for
40 years as a civil rights, labor, and community organizer.
He is executive director of Grassroots
Leadership, an organization that works to abolish for-profit
private prisons, jails and detention centers
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
