Boys and girls: Paris riots

The poverty and crime-ridden estates around the French capital, Paris, have erupted in violence - with cars, schools and business premises being torched, mostly by young men and boys as young as 12.

So how do the young residents of the estates see their future?

The BBC News website's Joseph Winter went to one of the affected estates in Aulnay-sous-Bois and found that while some boys had already given up hope of having a decent life, some girls were determined to overcome their problems.

BOYS

When we speak, no one listens to us - this is the only way we have of making ourselves heard.

Boys: We don't think we'll ever get jobs

[Interior Minister Nicolas] Sarkozy said he would "pressure-clean us" - that we were "rabble".

We want Mr Sarkozy to resign, or the violence will continue. He is too scared to come here and talk to us himself. We don't think we'll ever get jobs.

We'd like to be accountants or work in businesses, but we know that as soon as people hear we have Muslim names and that we live on the Mitry estate in Aulnay, we won't even get interviews.

GIRLS

They shouldn't burn cars - that won't solve our problems.

Girls: Despite everything, we will achieve something

But nor will sending a letter to the interior minister.

We should organise peaceful marches and demonstrations to get our message across.

We're black so we know we won't be able to achieve what we want in our lives. We will face lots of obstacles, but we won't let ourselves be crushed by society.

We want to go to university, but we know our qualifications won't be worth as much as those who live in central Paris.

Charlene Pierre, 15, [right on photo]: I want to be a lawyer.

Barro Victoire, 15 [left]: I want to be an IT engineer.

We know that despite everything, we will be achieve something.

We are confident that in 10 years' time, we will have found good jobs.