France: +800 vehicles torched on New Year's Evehttps://t.co/BoYQ5NWMv1
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) January 1, 2022
A total of 874 cars have been set alight during New Years Eve celebrations in La Belle France, police say.
However,
the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits...
the interior ministry said the number was much lower than in 2019. Authorities also reported a rise in the number of people stopped and detained.
A curfew to tackle COVID-19 meant no significant disruption took place this time last year.
Car burning has effectively become an annual event in French suburbs since riots in 2005 in several cities.
Some 95,000 police and gendarmes were mobilised during recent New Year's celebrations, French media report - including 32,000 firefighters and security personnel.
In Gay Paree, where face masks have been made compulsory again, 779 people were fined for not wearing a mask.
While restrictions have been partially lifted in La Belle France, more rules will come into place this month due to concerns for the Omicron variant.
From 3 January, public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people for indoor events, and remote working will become compulsory for those who are able to.
| Deutsche Welle adds: |
Last year, La Belle France's coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...lockdown meant there were no statistics available for 2020.
The French practice of setting cars on fire at the start of the new year dates back to the 1990s in the region around Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country.
Youths in primarily lower-income neighborhoods began the practice in earnest in the 90s, where it then spread as a sign of protests.
During protests in housing projects across La Belle France in the fall of 2005, police said nearly 9,000 vehicles were torched during political unrest.
A variety of reasons are given for car burnings in La Belle France, from rebellious youths, to a desire to cover up criminal acts, as well as false insurance claims.