Bronxbomber

Where would we go to see some May Day celebration? (We're staying near the 18e). Would we have to watch for anti-American demos?

StCirq

I hope you don't think you're going to see Parisians dancing around a maypole or something. People give each other bunches of lilies of the valley and the unions hold a march/parade around the Bastille It's La Fête du Travail and it's held at the Bastille for obvious historical reasons.

Why on earth would there be anti-American demos? The holiday doesn't have anything to do with America or Americans.

kerouac

You will see literally thousands of people selling bunches of '<i>muguet</i>' on every street corner -- sometimes for charity, sometimes for themselves.

The trade union march is always interesting, because just about every interest group that exists in France participates in it, from Americans Against the War to the Gay Kurdish Liberation Front (I made that one up, not the first one, though.) The route is usually from République to Bastille and sometimes on to Nation, when it is considered to be a bigger march than usual. It's all good fun with families pushing their strollers and crèpe sellers in their vans along the route. However, bus service is obviously suspended for several hours for any line that crosses the route, and metro lines 8 and 9 can get jam packed, since they run directly under the itinerary.

Askar

#You will see literally thousands of people selling bunches of 'muguet' on every street corner -- sometimes for charity, sometimes for themselves.#

Sales of <i>'muguet'</i> is also a source of revenue for the #shudder# French COMMUNIST party!!!

tarquin

But don't worry, you will be able to tell them by their horns.

Pvoyageuse

"Sales of 'muguet' is also a source of revenue for the #shudder# French COMMUNIST party!!!"

As well as for the florists and those who grow it.

adrienne

And it's uplifting to see thousands of people with their sprigs of flowers!

You're as likely to see anti-American demonstrations in Paris on May 1 as you are to see anti-French demonstrations in the US on the first Monday in September.

Christina

I think the march always starts at place de la Republique due to its history, after all, it is dedicated to the republic and the liberte, egalite, fraternite ideals.

I think maybe the OP doesn't know what this holiday is about, a lot of Americans don't, and maybe that's the reason for the question about anti-American demonstrations.

Pvoyageuse

"I think the march always starts at place de la Republique due to its history, after all, it is dedicated to the republic and the liberte, egalite, fraternite ideals."

It starts Place Denfert Rochereau and ends Place de la Bastille.

kerouac

Where did you see that, Pvoyageuse? I was Googling the itinerary for this year and could not find it anywhere.

When I have participated, it has always started at République, without exception.

Pvoyageuse

I was referring to the "défilé des syndicats" which after all gives its sense and its relevance to May 1st(apologies to the Gay Kurdish Liberation Front).

2009 : Parcours du défilé des syndicats
A Paris, le cortège du premier défilé unitaire du 1er mai partira à 14h de la place Denfert-Rochereau pour rejoindre la place de la Bastille.

2010 : http://www.lejdd.fr/

Nothing yet for 2011

kerouac

Actually, it's true that the trade unions do not always agree and sometimes have separate marches, and there have sometimes been 3 or 4 different marches on May 1st. Last year was unified, though, and I expect that this year will be unified as well.