The young rioters who have wreaked havoc in suburban France over the past fortnight might feel like they do not belong, but for some observers, their violent protests against social exclusion are almost the French norm.
'It's very French to use such a show of force to revolt against the system,' says Parisian engineer Pierre de Bonnechose.
'Truck drivers, teachers, farmers, pressure groups of all kinds take the law into their hands and impose their willpower.
'After that they are in a position of force to negotiate and end up getting what they want ... the government always cedes to them.'
Starting with the French Revolution, violent uprisings and forceful protests are common in France and have become increasingly uncivil over the years.
Sociologist Michel Wieviorka sees contemporary French society frequently marked by 'revolutionary thrusts and insurrectionary strikes', not just during the current urban violence.