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Hitting the Streets
Based on the questions and emails Bonjour Paris readers have been sending, there are times that first-hand reporting is the only way to know what’s true and what’s not. Are the students rioting? Is there tear gas being jettisoned all over the city? Are travelers at risk if they come to the City of Light? Should they cancel their Paris plans?
I’ve spent the past few weeks in Paris in high speed motion, traveling every which way – from the Left Bank to the Right Bank and back again. This isn’t my normal routine since I spend the majority of the day behind the computer and confine as many outings as possible to my quartier which happens to be near the Sorbonne and its law school on Rue d’Assas.
Considering what I’ve seen on CNN and other English language news stations, I’d concur that people should avoid France right now. Ditto for what’s spread all over the front page of many newspapers in France and in the US, including the IHT. But sensational journalism sells, and photos of cars burning or confrontations with police sells. First-hand experience tells me differently. I’ve had to LOOK for civil unrest.
Please understand I’m not denying the definite problems regarding unemployment, which runs at about 10% and is especially problematic in the areas where last fall’s disturbances (not riots) took place. The French government is going to have to make concessions (and already has) when it comes to employment contracts.
But if students (and the unions) think that any contract is going to guarantee jobs for everyone, they’re sadly mistaken. People who lack skills and education are going to be left out in the cold. France, as other countries in the EU, are in for a shock if they think they can offer job security and social benefits for everyone from cradle to grave.
The reality is that even though there are serious issues, the press is over-blowing the danger aspect. Last week when I was at the Crillon Hotel on Place de la Concorde, I was amazed to see a journalist in front of the camera saying that “Paris is burning.” The camera crew panned to the Assemblée Nationale across the Seine while the reporter continued the taping, forecasting doom and gloom and practically the demise of France.
When questioned, she admitted that perhaps the report was overblown despite their being definite tensions. What many foreigners don’t understand is the French habitually protest and strike before they negotiate.
For example, a march protesting the law passed by the Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, facilitating hiring and firing people under the age of 26, was scheduled for last Thursday, March 23, 2006. It degenerated into random violence as hooded youths, mostly from the disadvantaged Paris suburbs, occupied the area surrounding Les Invalides, setting fire to some cars and smashing a few store windows after a tense but predominantly peaceful march. I was there and even though it wasn’t pleasant, it wasn’t life-threatening or the end of the world.
However, based on the photos and the repeated clips shown on television, you’d think it was out and out war. The CRS riot police (incredibly well trained personnel who have been instructed to avoid violence) cleared the crowd (including a large group of right-wing skin-heads looking for trouble) by releasing tear gas. The police pleaded with the peaceful demonstrators to leave the area. The majority of them did and some with whom I spoke said they’re irritated that their differences with the French government are being overtaken by these isolated incidents of violence.
When it comes to safety, the French government has mobilized police and they’re visible everywhere. Trains, metros, on the streets – wherever you look. A friend who lives in the Marais called to say that trucks filled with CRS police were parked within view of her apartment. She was concerned when she saw that each truck had a trailer – assuming the trucks were filled with tear gas. Promptly at lunchtime (and then repeated at dinner), out came the boxes containing meals complete with cloth napkins. Ah, this is France, but better that the police aren’t suffering from low blood sugar levels and short tempers.
A mega-strike took place Tuesday, April 4th. Except for a few troublemakers at Place d'Italie, who were whisked away by the police, the demonstration had an almost festive air. The weather was lovely and it was a nice day to spend outside. Anyone who has spent any time in France is accustomed to strikes– inconvenient as they may be.
Serious university students are expressing irritation since they've been forced to miss so many classes because the so many schools have been closed. Some professors are doing course work via the Internet since this pupils don't want to repeat a semester.
One of the most upseting issues is this will give xenophobes another excuse to dismiss France as one of the premier destinations in the world. At times, it feels as if the French are their own worst enemies, aided and abetted by the press, who are constantly on the lookout for photo-ops.
Do come to France…and most specifically Paris. If there should be addtional strikes, do avoid areas where demonstrations are scheduled since it’s prudent to stay out of the way. But please remember, these events won’t impact tourism unless you let them. Do your sightseeing in another area. Paris is certainly a large enough city.
© Karen Fawcett
