Rioters set fire to hundreds of vehicles across Paris suburbs Friday in a wave of arson attacks. However, there were far fewer clashes between riot police and angry youth.

"The peak is now behind us," Gerard Gaudron, mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, one of the worst-hit suburbs, told France-Info radio.

The violence, which erupted more than a week ago, has been concentrated in the low-income region of Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of Paris.

Last night, close to 1,300 riot police fanned over the area to try and restore order that has seen widespread arson, several arrests and some injuries.

Authorities did report far fewer clashes on Thursday night -- the eighth night of unrest.

Gaudron said that it's clear people have had enough of the rioting, and that parents were now determined to keep their teenagers home to prevent the nighttime unrest.

"People are afraid. It's time for this to stop.''

However, about 400 cars were set on fire, as were two warehouses. One of those warehouses was in the suburb of Le Blanc Mesnil. Firefighters were also working on a blaze engulfing a carpet factory in Aulnay-sous-Bois early Friday.

The violence appeared to peak on Wednesday night, when rioters fired four shots at police officers. No one was injured. The rioting was reported in as many as 20 Paris-region towns.

Speaking Thursday, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin vowed to restore order. He postponed a trip to Canada amid the crisis.

The violence erupted over the accidental electrocution of two teens on Oct. 27 who fled a soccer game and hid in a power substation when they saw police enter the area.

Youths in the neighbourhood believe Bouna Traore, 15 and Zyed Benna, 17, were chased to their deaths by police.

A preliminary report issued Thursday cleared officers of any wrongdoing in the teen's deaths.

Unrest is not uncommon in France's tough suburbs, which houses many immigrant families who feel trapped by poverty, unemployment and poor education.

With a Muslim population of approximately five million, immigrants often complain of police harassment and of being refused job opportunities and housing.

Nearly 70,000 incidents of urban violence have been recorded by police intelligence in these areas this year, including car torchings, attacks on police, throwing projectiles and clashes between gangs.

What makes this unrest different is the duration and intensity of the rioting. It has also spread far beyond the original flashpoint of Clichy-sous-Bois in northeast Paris.