November 8, 2005
Paris rioters get an edge with cell phones
As violence continues to rage in the suburbs of Paris, tension runs high between the rioting immigrant youths and the French authorities. [via United Press International]
Picture left from TSR.
... "Government officials have readily acknowledged the power of technology that has banded the disgruntled youths in such large numbers and with such anger. In fact, French police have publicly admitted that nightly broadcasts on television of vandalism by young Arab and Muslim men have only further fanned the flames of rage across the country and indeed beyond French borders.
Television, however, is not the single most effective instrument in coordinating rioters. Of course, television footage has shown France and indeed the world in no uncertain terms what exactly is happening, but rioters are banding together and finding strength in numbers through their cell phones and online.
... Group members were text-messaging or e-mailing one another to arrange meeting points or warn each other of police activities. Thus far, the police have been unable to tap or jam the wireless communications effectively to pre-empt the attacks."
Related: - French rioters organize via Internet and cell phones.
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