1917 and 1942?
Precisely which historical events in those two years are you referring to?
SDAI: "...old handicapped women maimed,..."
From the News24 story:
So far no one has been killed in the unrest, sparked by the electrocution deaths of two teenagers who hid in an electrical sub-station in northeastern Paris to escape a police identity check.
At least two people have been badly burnt by Molotov cocktails: a fireman, and a handicapped woman unable to get off an ambushed bus. A 61-year-old was also in a coma after being hit by an assailant in a public housing estate.
The story did not say that the handicapped woman was elderly.
The Embassy of the United States, Paris, France, has posted a public announcement for American travelers to France.
France is not listed on the current Travel Warnings page posted on the U.S. Department of State's Web site.