The streets near Saint-Denis-Universit station were eerily deserted; the bus stop stood empty, even taxis were hard to find. The scene bore little resemblance to the area's usual hustle and bustle.

"Which news agency are you guys from?" one youngster sitting on the curb asked a passing crew of journalists. "Good luck. The bombs are everywhere," he remarked.

Saint-Denis, which sits in the northern outskirts of Paris, is still shaken by last Wednesday's t