French vandalized British WWII graves..

[Shi Huangdi]

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/eu...eut/index.html

LILLE, France (Reuters) -- Vandals have smashed headstones and crosses at a cemetery for Commonwealth war veterans in northern France, in the latest in a spate of attacks on war graves over the last week.

A team from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission discovered the damage on Wednesday during a maintenance visit to the cemetery in Aix-Noulette, the resting place for mostly British soldiers who died during World War One.

Several tombstones and crosses were broken but there were no signs of graffiti. Police said on Friday that such acts of vandalism were common during school holidays and at weekends.

The incident follows similar attacks on cemeteries at Saint Aubert and Quesnel, where the remains of Britons, Canadians and New Zealanders lie buried. Six youths were arrested on Thursday for questioning.

President Jacques Chirac sent a letter of apology to Britain in April after vandals defaced the graves of British soldiers at Etaples cemetery in northern France with swastikas and slogans.

"This is sadly a part of the summer. It is a problem we have every year, but it was blown up this year because of the Etaples incident," said Roy Hemington, spokesman for the French area office of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

French War Veterans Minister Hamlaoui Mekachera, referring to the attack at Saint Aubert, condemned what he described as "an inadmissible offence" to the memory of foreign soldiers who fought in France in World War One.

The Foreign Ministry also condemned the vandalism and said it hoped the culprits would be found rapidly.

Do any of our French posters know why some people protest in this way? Anyway, to all those French gendarmes attempting to catch the culprits.

[Boris Godunov]

I suspect it's the same mentality that drives anti-Muslim and Middle Eastern attacks in this country. Young thugs + ignorance.

[Inverse Icarus]

again? didn't they do this before? "go home roas beef!"

[Kropotkin]

It's all very confusing what's going trough the minds of the vandals. Why should frenchmen paint nazi symbols on graves from WWI. For someone whose head is not totally screwed in the wrong direction, it doesn't make much sence.

[Inverse Icarus]

poly's dying. dp.

[Inverse Icarus]

they're french. they lose track of which war they lost to who. and apparently, which nations were on what sides.

[Kropotkin]

btw, your thread title is all wrong, WWI not WWII.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Uber KruX
they're french. they lose track of which war they lost to who. and apparently, which nations were on what sides.

[Winston]

Kropotkin, you think the most 'confusing' part is that they associated svastikas with WW I?

I think there may be one or two other points the vandals 'confused' as well.

[C0ckney]

bloody ungrateful frogs

[Sava]

Shi: I have to take exception to the way you phrased the thread title. You make it seem like the entire French population committed the act. How about... "A few dumbasses vandalized graves in France."

CNN's article title did the correct thing by specifying the fact it was commited by vandals, and not by "The French".

[Kropotkin]

Winston: No, I didn't think that was the most confusing part. The whole idea is confusing for anyone with a working mind and primary school history.

[LDiCesare]

they're french. they lose track of which war they lost to who. and apparently, which nations were on what sides.

I am pretty sure that a young dumb reading such a sentence would vandalize graves just because you said so.
Other than that, they are young dumbasses. In Britain, there are hooligans at football stadiums, in France they do other silly things. No need to point out the nationality. Most French would rather have those vandals sent to jail.

[Winston]

It could have happened anywhere if members of the radical left built up enough 'courage'.

This is most likely an 'anti-war' message. War is bad you know.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by C0ckney
bloody ungrateful frogs

French War Veterans Minister Hamlaoui Mekachera, referring to the attack at Saint Aubert, condemned what he described as "an inadmissible offence" to the memory of foreign soldiers who fought in France in World War One.

[C0ckney]

what boris, you don't think the people who did this were a) french b) ungrateful...?

[Inverse Icarus]

i say we find them and burn them at the stake. last i checked france was into those.

[H Tower]

Originally posted by Uber KruX
i say we find them and burn them at the stake. last i checked france was into those.

time to check again

[Ben Kenobi]

Shi: I have to take exception to the way you phrased the thread title. You make it seem like the entire French population committed the act.

Ever hear of selling a thread, Sava?

[Nubclear]

In other news....

"Americans Attempt to Kill Muslims in SLC Store"

"Blacks Kill Southerner, Say 'Revenge for Slavery'"

"Muslims Vandalize McDonalds, Bush Declares War on the Middle East"

[Combat Ingrid]

[Spiffor]

If I understand the article correctly, there were no graffiti this time (in the WW1 cemetaries). The swastika incident took place in the Etaples cemetary, which was about WW2 British soldiers IIRC.

And I second LDiCesare : Like most Frenchmen, I hope these vandals are punished. Defacing graves is an abomination in itself, especially the defacement of graves of foreign soldiers fighting to help us.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Sava
Shi: I have to take exception to the way you phrased the thread title. You make it seem like the entire French population committed the act. How about... "A few dumbasses vandalized graves in France."

CNN's article title did the correct thing by specifying the fact it was commited by vandals, and not by "The French".

Nonetheless, this epidemic of grave vandalism (or you could say this grave epidemic of vandalism ) hasn't spread beyond French borders.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Spiffor

And I second LDiCesare : Like most Frenchmen, I hope these vandals are punished. Defacing graves is an abomination in itself, especially the defacement of graves of foreign soldiers fighting to help us.

****in aye

[Shi Huangdi]

Spiffor and LaDi: But what in the social climate of France may have caused it? Is there some sort of anger against British WWI or WWII soldiers? Is there a large deal of antipathy against Britain in France now? Or is this complete isolated dumbassry.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Is there a large deal of antipathy against Britain in France now?

I thought that such antipathy was genetic.

[Spiffor]

disclaimer: This is a mere assumption, please do not take my word on this.

Except for the tension with the war in Iraq, I haven't spotted any specific resentment against the Brits (we sure make fun of them, but the hatred is long gone).

According to the article, this kind of vandalism is common in the summer however. Most likely, it is done by young people having way too much time on their hands during the summer vacation.
I think these people go for allied graves (British specifically, because there are plenty) not out of hatred for Britain, but simply to crush something that is cherished (sp?) by everybody. As such, I think these guys are 'clueless rebels' rather than bearing any political revendication.
There are many British WW1 cemetaries in the Lille region (norhtern France), because this is the place where British foot troops fought hardest during WW1. These cemetaries are an easy target for the kind of cretins that would vandalize a kindergarten or deface a retirement home in other circumstances

Also, another possibility is that these guys decided to have some nocturnal party involving spiritism in the cemetary. Such an evening could result in damage if the guys brought alcohol.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I thought that such antipathy was genetic.

This means we have to remove Rosbif genes out of the gene pool !

[Shi Huangdi]

Thanks for your posts Spiffor

[Whaleboy]

I wondered how long it would take before people posted anti French BS here