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Girl Gangs Clash in Paris

Cops shocked by girl gangs fighting with knives, tear gas

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 23, 2008 2:20 PM CST
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(Newser) – Paris cops recently broke up a suburban street-fight between rival gangs—but this time the gangsters were girls, the Times of London reports. "They had knives, screwdrivers, sticks and teargas and they were really going for each other," one officer said. Girl violence has spiked 140% in France since 2002, but police were surprised by the sight of an armed girl-gang battle.

“Some of the girls are incredibly violent these days,” one 16-year-old boy said. “They're tougher than us." Banlieu girls say the fighting isn't about race as much as turf—and, more importantly, boys. One fight "began because one of the Noisiel girls started hanging around the boys in Meaux,” one girl said. But les filles dangereuses dressed nicely and spoke sweetly when meeting with a Times reporter.

Youths riot in a housing estate outside Paris in this undated photo. Police in Paris are used to dealing with turf wars between teenage gangs%u2014but the gangs are usually men.
Youths riot in a housing estate outside Paris in this undated photo. Police in Paris are used to dealing with turf wars between teenage gangs%u2014but the gangs are usually men.   (Getty Images)
Police in Paris had to move in fast to stop a battle between rival gangs of knife-wielding teenage girls. Eight of the girls were arrested.
Police in Paris had to move in fast to stop a battle between rival gangs of knife-wielding teenage girls. Eight of the girls were arrested.   (Shutter Stock)
The rise in violence among teenage Parisian girls has surprised many. Some of the girls are incredibly violent these days, a 16-year-old boy said. They're tougher than us. Just the other day a girl in school chased a boy all the way around the grounds with a knife. He had...
The rise in violence among teenage Parisian girls has surprised many. Some of the girls are incredibly violent these days, a 16-year-old boy said. "They're tougher than us. Just the other day a girl in...   (Associated Press)
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