i know this not related to the warriors but i was waiting to see what these fellas would say given that so many of them from the "blighted suburbs". what a f**k up situation.
also, morocco vs. cameroon in france cancelled. wha they fraid?
French players criticise government over riots
(Adds detail, background)
By Pierre Serisier
FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Top French soccer players, reacting to riots in major cities, have urged authorities to address the problems of disaffected youths growing up in the suburbs.
"I grew up in the suburbs and I feel very close to these youths," said defender Lilian Thuram, the most capped player in France's squad, which is in Martinique to play a friendly match against Costa Rica.
"The situation makes me sick. Nobody is asking the right questions. Nobody is trying to look at the real problems," the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship winner added.
"The main issue is (the youths') insecurity but no one is talking about the best way to give people a job. People are talking about insecurity rather than unemployment."
The protests, blamed on racism and unemployment in rundown suburbs, have spread from Paris's poor suburbs to French towns across the country.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
The French government approved emergency measures on Tuesday allowing curfews to be imposed in riot-hit areas after 12 nights of unrest.
Youths threw Molotov cocktails at police and torched cars in several French cities and towns in a 13th night of violence, ignoring the government's imposition of rarely used emergency laws.
Police said on Wednesday that 573 vehicles were set ablaze across the country overnight, down from 860 the night before. One official said the incidents were sporadic. The number of people detained rose to 204 from 151 the night before.
Several French internationals grew up in Paris suburbs, among them Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, who is with the team in Martinique and told reporters he did not wish to speak about the riots.
Zinedine Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants who grew up in a tough Marseille district, missed the trip to Martinique because of a groin injury.
"They are trying to convince the public that these people are nothing but rioters... which is not the truth," Thuram said, criticising the government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, which faces a presidential election in 2007.
SEEKING SCAPEGOAT
"Three years ago, there was an election here and insecurity decided the vote. Now another election is looming and insecurity is the number one issue again," he said.
"Actually, they are trying to find a scapegoat as they are unable to find a solution to the job problems," he said.
Olympique Lyon midfielder Florent Malouda said the current situation had been inevitable.
"People in the suburbs are desperate and it was always going to come to this," he said.
"We have reached breaking point," said Malouda's team mate Eric Abidal. "This situation is anything but new and a solution is still to be found."
Abidal, who grew up in Lyon's suburb of La Duchere said: "When I was there, there was a supermarket but the guys there refused to hire people from our neighbourhood. I can understand that people are fed up to see things like that."