I read your link. A bit nationalistic, and that mentality is part of the problem.
Calling this a temper tantrum is also quite the insult, lots of innocent people have been severely injured, for merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Divide and conquer, one of the oldest forms of social control.
There seems to be a fair amount of unity among the French people against their current government, and most are nonviolent.
However if violence is initiated by the government, its quite difficult for most to simply ignore it, and there will always be some who react in an equally violent manner, basic human nature.
Who has the weapons? Who has the numbers?
This might not go as planned, it will probably get much worse, for everyone involved.
I'm surprised they haven't cut the internet yet, when that happens, all bets are off, it will be just like T-square in China.