200 cars burned overnight in France
Attackers torched nearly 200 cars overnight across France, police said today, the fourth night of unrest after the presidential election victory of conservative Nicolas Sarkozy.
The latest figure compares to nearly 292 cars set ablaze overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, suggesting violence is simmering down, the Interior Ministry said.
A total of 198 cars were set alight from Wednesday to Thursday, while 29 people were detained, the national police said. No officers were injured.
About 730 cars were burned across the country Sunday night, and 592 people were arrested. The next night, 373 vehicles were torched and 160 people were taken in for questioning.
Sarkozy, who beat Socialist Segolene Royal in the run-off vote Sunday, is a divisive figure whose tough language and policies have angered many on critics on the left and in poor suburban housing projects where many immigrants live - areas that exploded into rioting in 2005.
