Islam versus Europe

Breivik's manifesto, A European Declaration of Independence, describes a trip to Prague he made to try and get hold of an AK-47. Despite visiting several brothels and approaching various dodgy-looking characters, he never managed to find one. As this article from France 24 shows, he could have got one in Marseilles fairly easily - and for only 500 euros. Of course he would have had to buy it from a Muslim!

Ironically, Breivik gained the impression that Prague was a great centre of vice from a BBC documentary. Any self-respecting counterjihadist should have known better than to trust the BBC!

Marseille, a port city with a large immigrant population, has an established reputation for gang culture and lawlessness.

In the last year, the rates of violent crime have exploded. Some 26 physical assaults take place in the city each day. Robbery is up 23% from last year, burglaries are up 14%, while there has been a 40% increase in armed robberies. The murder rate increased by 9% in the first quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010.

The assassinations of two important gang leaders – Roland Gaben and Souhel Hanna-Elias – on July 20 and 29, were the straw that broke the camel’s back. With less than a year before presidential and legislative elections, the centre-right UMP party, led by President Nicolas Sarkozy, wants to crack down hard.

But the challenges are huge. And police and urban associations find it hard to agree on the best approach to tackle the root causes of Marseille’s endemic criminal culture.

Kalashnikov culture

The Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifle, a potent symbol of violent anarchy, has made its grim stamp on Marseille’s underworld. The weapon has become an essential criminal accessory, the spokesman of the Unité de Police trade union, David-Olivier Reverdy, told FRANCE 24.

“It is the new Opinel [a popular and cheap brand of penknife] on the streets of Marseille,” he said.

Most of these weapons, which sell for 500 euros apiece on the city’s housing estates, come into Marseille through its busy sea port, one of the reasons the AK47 epidemic is unique to Marseille, Reverdy believes. Young criminals, he says, take “incredible risks” using firearms in robberies on small businesses. “They don’t seem to be aware that they risk 20 years in prison,” he said. “And very often they target small shops and bring home as little as 150 euros.”

Reverdy explained that until a few years ago, petty criminals would steal mobile phones for small amounts of money. But now that most mobile phones are protected, they are virtually worthless if stolen. Delinquents are now much more interested in cash, and gold, he said.

Ultra violence

“Delinquents are going straight into armed robbery these days,” he said. “Armed robbery is no longer the preserve of the hard core of criminals and as a result, Marseille is suffering from a culture of ultra violence.”

Reverdy said that it was inevitable that inside a densely populated city with high unemployment and a significant immigrant population, young people would naturally gravitate towards gangs.

“Some people do finish school and find a job,” he said. “But you can make so much more money selling drugs and robbing shops and businesses. It’s just too easy.”

Source: France 24