French Losers Riot

No surprise here:

RIOT police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters gathered in central Paris today to demonstrate against the presidential election victory of right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy.

The clashes took place on the Place de la Bastille where about 5000 supporters of the defeated Socialist candidate Segolene Royal had gone to await the election results, an AFP journalist said.

Up to 300 rioters, some of whom were masked, made running attacks on riot police who took up positions at the entrance to boulevards leading onto the square.

Earlier a small crowd of protesters, brandishing black and red anarchist flags, set fire to an effigy of Mr Sarkozy in the square before tearing it limb from limb and then stamping on it.

Supporters of the president-elect held their own giant celebratory party in another part of central Paris.

I think the over/under on burning cars is about 250, depending on whether the unemployed Muslims can get off their prayer mats long enough to participate.

The mood in France is pretty well summarized by these photos.