French police raid housing projects VILLIERS-LE-BEL, France - More than 1,000 police officers swooped in on housing projects outside of Paris Monday, detaining 35 people in pre-dawn raids meant to flush out those who took part in violent riots late last year, officials said.
Police targeted areas where officers had come under gunfire in November's riots. Although no officers were killed in those shootings, the use of firearms was seen as a dramatic escalation in violence targeting police.
The government hailed the operation as proof that it would not allow crime to run rampant in troubled housing projects. "There is no zone of lawlessness in our republic," said Labor Minister Xavier Bertrand.
Segolene Royal of the opposition Socialists called the raids a "security spectacle" aimed at shoring the flagging support for Sarkozy's party ahead of municipal elections March 9 and 16. With opinion surveys showing plunging popularity for Sarkozy, his conservative camp is bracing for severe electoral setbacks.
Francis Debuire, of the left-leaning Workers' Front union, said an "excessive" number of police were mobilized.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080218/ap_on_re_eu/france_police_raid
