Sarkozy said his concerns about avoiding attacks on innocent people prevented him from authorizing the riot police to move in against troublemakers on Tuesday evening while peaceful protesters were still in the area.
Asked by Le Parisien whether he was afraid of the "Malik Oussekine syndrome," in reference to a student protester who died after being badly beaten by the police during a 1986 demonstration, Sarkozy replied: "I had to deal with 25 days of riots in November. Not one person died."



