Paris escaped renewed urban violence overnight but 374 vehicles were set alight elsewhere in France, according to police reports.

Thousands of police guarded the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and train stations, as part of emergency measures enacted in response to text messages and Internet postings that called for “violent actions” in Paris.

Some 3,000 police fanned out around Paris today ahead of feared weekend attacks on high-profile targets such as the Eiffel Tower, as the number of vehicles torched overnight rose slightly elsewhere in France, according to officials.

POLICE tightened security in central Paris yesterday with riot forces and bomb squads placed along the Champs-Elysees.

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that ending the country’s rioting and arson was his priority, but acknowledged that discrimination and lack of equality are driving frustrations among the young people rebelling in largely immigrant suburbs.

French President Jacques Chirac said today that ending the country’s rioting and arson was his priority, but acknowledged that discrimination and lack of equality are driving frustrations among the young people rebelling in largely immigrant suburbs.

France’s storm of rioting lost strength today with a drop of nearly half in the number of car burnings, police said. But looters and vandals still defied a state of emergency with attacks on stores, a newspaper warehouse and a subway station.

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency yesterday, paving the way for curfews to be imposed on riot-hit cities and towns.

FRANCE announced plans yesterday to impose curfews on rundown suburbs hit by violence to try to halt almost two weeks of unrest in which one man has been killed, police said yesterday.

France will impose curfews “wherever it is necessary” and call up police reservists to stop rioting that has spread out of its suburbs, the prime minister said today, calling a return to order “our No. 1 responsibility”.

Rioting by French youths spread to 300 towns overnight and a man hurt in the violence died of his wounds – the first fatality in 11 days of unrest, police said today. Governments worldwide urged their citizens to be careful in France.

Authorities are closely monitoring about 10 Islamic prayer leaders suspected of extremist preaching in France, the national police chief said today.