THE BBC

In listening to the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation’s news broadcasts and looking at its website, one would only be vaguely aware that the ongoing riots across France are in fact race riots, and that Muslims are very much involved.

Channel 4 News has been little better. Last night it had a detailed report on the riots which descended into a pro-multiculturalism propaganda exercise. In promoting multiculturalism, both Channel 4 and the BBC have conveniently overlooked past race riots in the UK, in which people have been killed, and, in particular, overlooked the recent racial violence in Birmingham and the 7/7 bombings.

Multiculturalism has been a failure.

That race is a factor has only recently been touched upon in the BBC television news, and even now the BBC is stressing the poverty, alienation and youth as being the main causes - not Islam, nor race, nor immigration. The French government, according to the BBC, is primarily responsible.

For example, on the BBC website, the item dealing with the Paris riots is entitled ‘France’s city policy in tatters’. The item begins:

‘As rioting by disaffected youths has spread across France, officials have been accused of long-term neglect of the country's impoverished suburbs.

But over the past three decades, French governments of all colours have implemented an array of initiatives aimed at tackling widely documented problems.

The first plan for the suburbs, focusing on better housing, was launched in 1977 ... In the 1980s, hundreds of billions of francs were spent on regenerating housing estates, as well as extra funding for schools and youth associations in the suburbs.

The next decade saw no let-up in government activity. In 1996, tax-free zones were set up, providing incentives for companies to create jobs in the suburbs ... The problem, it seems, is not one of neglect - but one of ineffectual action ... According to many French analysts, the worst wave of urban violence for many decades is a damning indictment of government initiatives.’

And so it goes on.

The website then has a series of quotes from residents of the riot affected areas. For example:

‘Ziwyana Cherif: "I don't think it was racism, just a mistake by the police which they should admit. But I do see racism every day. People's faces change as soon as they see a black or Arab face. The death of those boys was the straw that broke the camel's back."

Mamadou Nyang, 19 ... “I left school two years ago but have never had a job. As soon as I say my name and where I live, they tell me the vacancy has gone. I am happy to do any job, except be a policeman. I hate the police. As soon as they see blacks or Arabs, they just try and cause trouble.”

Bilal, 29, civil servant ... “Even in the civil service, we are victimised. We have to work twice as hard as white French people. That's the problem with France - institutional racism. I don't approve of the violence but it's the only way of sounding the alarm. We demand equality of opportunity.

The police did nothing to stop those kids running 1,000 metres to their deaths at an electricity sub-station. If they want peace, we need justice. Respect must be mutual.”

Mehmet Altun, 15 ... “The police come and hassle us all the time. They ask us for our papers 10 times a day. They treat us like delinquents - especially [Interior Minister Nicolas] Sarkozy. That's not the answer. It would be good to have youth clubs and other places to go - then there would be less trouble.

It's not good to burn cars but that's one way of getting attention, so people can come and solve our problems.” ’

From the quotes cited by the BBC, one would think that the French are unanimous in their hostility towards the police. This is plainly not the case.

This is little more than politically correct neo-communist propaganda. It is offensive that the rioters, who have even been shooting at the police, should be portrayed as victims. They are not.