There was slightly less violence in cities across France on Tuesday night. The government's emergency plan has now come into effect, allowing states of emergency to be declared in certain areas.
This report from Alasdair Sandford:
Fewer cars were torched around the country on Tuesday night - just over six hundred - but there were many arrests, according to a spokesman for the Interior Minister. The Paris area was relatively calm but there was trouble in cities like Toulouse and Lyon. The government's emergency decree allowing for widespread new police powers is now in force. Many cities may now impose curfews if the authorities see fit.
The far right leader of the National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has told the BBC the violence is the consequence of large scale immigration. He's called for troublemakers to have their French nationality withdrawn. The French international footballer, Lilian Thuram, in Martinique where he's due to play for his country later on Wednesday, has criticised the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, for describing some people on troubled housing estates as scum.
torched
quemados
relatively calm
relativamente calma
The government's emergency decree
el decreto de emergencia del gobierno
widespread new police powers
nuevos poderes otorgados a la policía
in force
vigente
impose curfews
imponer un toque de queda
the consequence of
se produce por/ es el resultado de
troublemakers
personas responsables de los actos de violencia
housing estates
casas provistas por el Estado
scum
escoria
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