There has been massive unrest—including riots and street battles—in France over the past week, following the shooting of a young French Romany by a Gendarme. As a consequence, the French government is looking to implement extensive measures aimed at controlling itinerant peoples. The left is claiming that Sarkozy’s government is stigmatising minority groups and pandering to the far right, whilst the right is saying that they need to protect France from loss of public order. We’re not permitted to pass political judgement here at RTC (but doubtless you know what we’re thinking), so instead I’ll point you in the direction of some news reports.

• BBC
• Guardian
• Telegraph, and Telegraph again
• and if you can read French: Le Figaro and two from Le Monde