French President Jacques Chirac has vowed to re-establish law and order in suburbs where rioting has raged for more than a week as a "priority" for his government.
Following a meeting with his top security advisers, Mr Chirac told reporters that "re-establishment of security and order" was an urgent necessity in the suburbs.
In his first public statement since the rioting began on October 27 in working class immigrant neighborhoods, Chirac also promised that "those who want to spread violence or fear... will be caught."
But he also noted that "respect for all, justice and equal opportunity," were needed to end France's worst unrest in nearly four decades.
In a highly unusual move the holding of the emergency security meeting was made public.
The President has been under increasing pressure from the opposition Socialist Party and even within his own ruling UMP party to make a public address on the violence since it began October 27.
More than 800 people have been arrested and 3,500 vehicles torched since the rampages first erupted.
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