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France hit by fresh nationwide strikes as workers march for 'dignified wage' (www.france24.com)
submitted 17 hours ago by to c/world
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[–] 10 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

That article is from Thursday, but it happened again today. Saturday is a common protest day in France. In Montpellier, early afternoon was the largest protest march I have been in. It was peaceful, and a lot of fun. The police were present, and professional.

Later, as evening fell, I went out to run an errand. The shop I wanted to go to was on the far side of the central square. I could hear the helicopters overhead, and knew there was likely to be enhanced activity. My walk took me past cordons of riot police, who were still being professional as far as I saw.

It seems I was there moments after something was broken up on Place de la Comédie. I walked through the most dense clouds of tear gas I have experienced so far, though not the densest I have seen. Nasty stuff; at the worst I couldn't see momentarily.

I'm happy to walk through tear gas, and buy a bottle of wine with bloodshot eyes and tears streaming down my cheeks, if it means enjoying the benefits of living in a society that stands up for what it believes.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

    As an Englishman, is it faux pas to want to visit and observe a French protest or even join in? We don't do protests as well over here as the French and I'd like to see one in person. But I don't want to ruin the vibe if my presence would do that.

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  • [–] 1 point 34 minutes ago*

    TL;DR: Yes, you would be welcome, and I think you would benefit from the experience. And it would be good to tell your stories to add to the public understanding of what is happening.

    [edit] Saturday is the best day to reliably find a protest march. Start walking around looking for helicopters, listening for drums or sirens, and looking for where the people dressed in black are going. Unfortunately I don't know the hot spots in Paris, and it is a big city. In smaller cities like Montpellier, Lyon, Toulouse, or Bordeaux, it would be easier to find.

    As a person who moved here from the United States within the past year, I find France to be very welcoming to people who are sincere in their intentions and respectful of the culture. I am that way, so I'm not sure where the boundaries are, but I imagine they are less receptive to the kind of blowhard behavior that some Americans are reputed to exhibit.

    Coming to observe or march in the daytime protests would be easy, safe, and enjoyable. If you hear sirens and people start moving away from an area, walk calmly away. If you see clouds of tear gas or hear pops like big firecrackers (tear gas going off), walk calmly away. The police are professional and respectful if you listen and do as they say.

    You can also sometimes walk peacefully through the police cordon into the area where the tear gas is, but be sure to listen for the officers to say no, and be prepared to let them search you if they ask. It is probably not as safe as in the main peaceful marches, but it has not been a problem for me yet, other than having my bag searched.

    As for the protestors, 100% of them have been nice to me, even though my French immediately marks me as an immigrant. The daytime marches, where I spend much more of my time than in the tear gas, are borderline festive, though with a distinct air of grievance.

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