Ten officers injured as riots continue in France

Ten police officers were injured by lead pellets in a clash with 250-300 youths in France overnight as rioting continued, but only two were taken to hospital with more serious injuries – to the neck and legs.

At least 764 vehicles were burned overnight, while police made 173 arrests, national police spokesman Patrick Hamon's office said early today.

The situation appeared calm in Paris, where violence had broken out the previous night, local authority said.

Interior minister Sarkozy said he planned to visit the two police officers in hospital, whose lives were not in danger. It was unclear whether they were shot with hunting rifles or a less lethal weapon, the interior ministry spokesman said. One was wounded in the neck, the other in the legs.

Sarkozy said police must return law and order to France, or gangs and extremists would fill the void.

Police later said youths had fired at officers with fine-grain birdshot.

Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested since the violence broke out.

The violence has prompted deep soul-searching about how to ease fear, anger and frustration among troubled youths in the grim public housing estates on the outskirts of French cities, where many residents are minorities.

Educationists have met the French prime minister to think of ways to help.

“These are young people who are generally resigned, they face discrimination everywhere, for housing and work, and their malaise gets expressed in violence,” said Ahmed Touabi, principal of a primary school in the Paris suburb of Argenteuil.

The troublemakers “feel rejected by France, and they want to spit on France”.