Quote Originally Posted by The Stranger View Post
and here i was, thinking that France was a civilised country.

You are not just burning a material thing, you are destroying the fundament of their ideals. ok lets go with that.
No, what was "incorrectly disposed of" was a object that contains writing which they then interpret however they feel appropriate. Again, people seem to be missing the point. Objects should never, ever have more value than human life. If someone destroyed the Vietnam War Memorial in the capital, I'd be beyond pissed, and whomever did it should serve life. But I'm not going to take to the streets with all my neighbors, burning and looting as I damn well please about it.

When the students of '66 thought that the government was "destroying" ideals, what did they do? They rose and took to the streets, and I dont think it was all very peacefull. Perhaps the level of violence differed, but that is a gradual difference, and i think you make the difference between civilised and uncivilised principial. so unless France only civilised after '66 or if those people were not civilised people, how does this fit?

or, what about this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Hat_Riot
You're confusing demonstrating vs rioting. Demonstrations do turn into riots occasionally, given the wrong stimuli and circumstances.

hardcore football hooligans were infact "civilised" familymen
Self-contradicting statement.