France needs to get control of the situation, and soon. The violence will continue to escalate, and has continued to escalate, as long as they allow it to do so. The nation is on fire [hat tip Drudge]:

Despite an assurance from Philippe Douste Blazy, the foreign minister, that France was “not a dangerous country”, the spread of violence prompted the Foreign Office in London to warn travellers that trouble could break out “almost anywhere”.

Dominique de Villepin, the beleaguered prime minister, announced that officials in riot-hit areas would be authorised to impose late-night curfews “wherever it is necessary” in a bid to halt the disturbances.

He rejected calls by a police union for troops to be sent in but said that 1,500 reservists were being called up and repeated an appeal to parents to keep adolescent rioters off the streets.

Villepin is a Class A fool. A multi-generation bred and trained bureaucrat – he has only liberal/socialist theories in mind to address the violence. And French arrogance to boot. Not just arrogance against the French immigrant population – but the French inability to admit mistakes. To end this will require a gesture. And allowing muslim women to folllow their religous dress codes would be a reasonable step. The decision to ban religous dress and symbols in schools was a slap to all, and Muslims especially. The only question is how much damage has to occur before Villepin and others realize their mistakes. Until then

Although the disorder began on the intimidating sink estates of Paris’s northern suburbs, trouble had been reported yesterday in the early hours from most regions of the country. Even areas such as Brittany, the Loire and Bordeaux, favoured by British holidaymakers and second- home hunters…

Yesterday the violence also claimed its first life. A 61-year-old man died in hospital three days after being beaten unconscious when he left his home in a northern Paris suburb intending to stop rubbish bins being set on fire.

Even before renewed disturbances broke out last night, figures showed that rioters had wrecked 4,700 vehicles, injured more than 100 police and rescue workers, and opened fire in at least six separate incidents.

Of the 1,200 people arrested, more than 30 – half of them juveniles – have already been jailed or given youth custody.

It has spread to Brussels and Germany as of last night. And somehow we are the evil in the world? Old Europe is getting and old fashioned lesson in life.