We've run out of ideas, we've hit rock bottom - that's what we're saying to each other. It's no longer a problem of urban violence, we're talking about organised crime now. Either we shelter from attacks and face derision, or we go one further in with the violence. We'd like to know how these kind of weapons circulate; you only have to go downtown to get hold of war artillery - that's the reality. This attack has taken things a step further in terms of violence. The officers who work in this district know the risks of their trade. But it doesn't mean you don't get scared and frustrated. Some of us are asking ourselves whether it's worth getting fired at by AK-47s for a salary of 1,600 euros a month. We shouldn't cut staff numbers like the Interior Minister wants to. What we want is that our job is recognised as a dangerous one - which is not the case at present."

The violence is clearly escalating. We've gone past the point of knife fights. Let's hope it stops here. While many other areas of France have black markets, we don't understand how they manage to get hold of the kind of weapons they do here. How long is this police presence going to go on for? A few days? Putting riot police on the streets for a week is not going to solve the problem. There's a brand new police station in the city centre, but it remains closed because there's not enough money.