France Chipping Away At Riots

Still A Crisis, But Less Widespread For Third Day In A Row

(CBS/AP)  French police Thursday welcomed a drop in the number of cars burned overnight, a day after state-of-emergency measures were introduced, but said authorities would remain vigilant after two weeks of the country's worst civil unrest in decades.

In a 14th straight night of unrest, 482 vehicles burned overnight Wednesday-Thursday, down from 617 the night before, police spokesman Patrick Hamon said. He called it "an encouraging sign that does not, however, diminish the police effort." One police officer was injured in the unrest.

Some cities, including the Riviera resorts of Cannes and Nice, imposed curfews on minors. The government toughened its stance Wednesday against rioters, with Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy saying local authorities have been told to deport foreigners convicted for involvement.

The violence started Oct. 27 among youths in the northeastern Paris region of Seine-Saint-Denis angry over the accidental deaths of two teenagers, but grew into a nationwide insurrection of arson and clashes with police.

The peak in car burnings - a barometer of unrest - came Sunday-Monday, with 1,408 vehicles torched. The number of incidents has dropped every night since then. Firefighters responded to 1,340 calls overnight, down 37 percent from the previous night, officials said.

Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said French nationals of immigrant backgrounds should be stripped of their French citizenship and sent "back to their country of origin" if they committed crimes.

Sarkozy, who previously inflamed passions by referring to troublemakers as "scum," said 120 foreigners have been convicted for roles in the violence, and he called on local authorities to expel them.

"I have asked regional prefects to expel foreigners who were convicted — whether they have proper residency papers or not — without delay," he said.

CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports from outside Paris that by making the new comments, Sarokozy risked inciting more violence — and some residents say they think he knew it.

"It's an intentional provocation," said Alassane Fall, a resident of the Paris suburb of Grigny. "He's too intelligent not to recognize the language he uses."