Is Paris Burning?
 

The BBC on TV today is showing burned out cars, tear gas, "security forces" in shoulder to shoulder phalanxes, smashed windows, and graffiti on the Arc de Triomphe after another weekend demonstration by the yellow jackets. They are reporting 100 injured and 400 arrests. Not a very tourism-friendly set of images.

How accurate is this in real life?

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My daughter was there last weekend. She spent her time visiting art galleries and eating in good restaurants. She says that no water cannons were involved.

What do you think, in vast majority of the country nothing happens, would it stop me going there, no. But I would avoid going to say Russia for their general illegal behaviour.

Here is my photo report on the subject: Battening down the hatches on the Champs Elysées | Any Port in a Storm

We may have reach the paroxysm yesterday and things will now decelerate. But in France, you can never be sure about anything.

More photos: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ga...is-in-pictures

Kerouac: Your photos always tell a story. This one is hard to bear. The TV did not tell how the demonstration has spread its anarchy toward the Grand Magasins. I fear this will not end well or soon.

The department stores were evacuated and closed early during the afternoon when the riots started getting close. They were probably saved from tragedy by the fact that a lot of the demonstrators wanted to go to Gare Saint Lazare instead and wreak havoc there. This probably weakened both groups at place Saint Augustin and allowed the police to retake control of the streets.

Thanks for your photos kerouac. I hate seeing such senseless destruction. We’ll be in Paris one night next week and again over Christmas. Do you know of any more planned protests?

We saw a protest in Lille yesterday but very peaceful. Cops were everywhere and yellow vest hanging from cars and windows. We came back tonight from a day in Belguim and train station had a very large presence of armed soldiers and police. Dogs, big groups of security, checking people off to the sides. We will be in Paris on Wed till Tuesday. We are over by the Eiffel. My sister in law felt the tear gas last weekend. I just hate the destruction that they did to innocent people's shops and the damage to people's cars and hurting national monuments, I can't get the bbox tv working in our apartment and all I have is one news channel. It is ALL they are showing over and over.

wow, boarded up like a hurricane is about to arrive. They shut down several metro stations.

Most of the places on the Champs Elysées board up for NYE too, just as a precaution, although the wildness of 10 years ago is just a distant memory.

With closures of Metro stations, blocked streets and their bus routes, and shuttered businesses in the protest zone, what effects did the events have on tourist sites and access?

Shop owners are complaining loudly, since December is the busiest season for most of them.

Thank you, I knew you would have an informative post. Meet with the two ladies who are coming with me to Paris next Sunday. They have never bee on a big plane and never out of the US. Should be an interesting trip. This is my 10th trip to Paris, and I am sorry they will not get to how beautiful it is, and I hope they won't be afraid. I meet with them on Monday evening and I guess I will show them these pictures. Thanks again.

Wow, Kerouac - Thanks for the link to your posts and photos. It just makes me very sad. What a world.

Well not that anyone asked my opinion, but hey, it's Fodors BUT Nlingenfel, I'm not sure I'd show the ladies the pictures. You could mention there has been some unrest, let them follow up if they want. But there is so much to do in Paris it is quite likely if you stay out of the affected area there will still be lots to interest and charm them! Wishing the 3 of you a delightful trip.

I would not show them. You will just worry them. You can get around it. I would visit other areas till you know it is ok. The tv showed most everything back to normal Sunday evening.
We were delayed going to Brussels today by protesters on the tracks. About a 30-minute delay. We still saw a huge police and military presence at the train station. We had them board our train after approaching a guy asking to see his ticket. They went to the first car and escorted off five younger males. The police are doing a good job. A guy tried to get into my husband's back coat vents. Funny as they are vents and not pockets. The police yanked him away. This was in line at the ticket machine. I told my husband those zippers would be inviting. BTW, we had first class tickets and no one checked our boarding pass. Anyone could have got on that train and sat anywhere Regional trains had a ticket checker.

I had never seen a single gilet jaune in person until I went to the Champs Elysées Saturday morning, about 45 minutes before the trouble started. In 98% of the city, you would not even know that they exist. However, I will not deny that metro lines and bus routes are disrupted when civil disobedience is in progress. This said, bus routes go around the problems when necessary. Unfortunately, the bus driver can only make announcements in French, so if you don't understand, you are out of luck. But if you see half of the bus passengers suddenly disembarking, you can be pretty sure that the next 5 or 6 stops will be skipped.

Thanks, will take your advice.

Thanks Kerouac, I appreciate the photos as the coverage of the story in the US is limited (any story not in New York or Washington seems to be). So sorry to see this destruction in Paris. Brave little Brioche Dore from our first trip to Paris.

The photos and video of the Arc de Triumph are terrible. I don't get it - if they are opposed to a gas hike increase they must be opposed to increased taxes to pay for the damage or that funds will be diverted from other needed services - the need for the damage/increase being created by their destruction. We have gas hike increases all the time here in our city (some imposed by the state, some local) and we've never had such extreme riots. What is going on?

They didn't think it through. People rarely do.

THe official version is that evil-doers infiltrated the demonstration to cause havoc.

But plenty of the 'normal' demonstrators were happy to join the violent mob. It is a well known phenomenon..

The state has a long history of backing down when things get noisy on the streets, not all the time, but enough to make it worthwhile.

Macron is delaying the protested fuel tax increase for 6 months. Let's see what happens Saturday.

kerouac, You were so right. We took the metro and the bus to Suresnes American Cemetery today. The driver announced something and people started squawking and some were like what did he say? Many got off but we stayed on and he skipped five stops due to protesting. We were lucky our stop was after those he skipped. Looks like we won't be going near the 8th this weekend. I just heard they are closing down many museums on Saturday. We are by the Eiffel so close to the 7th but in the 15th.

The cemetery was a good stop.

I am unaware of any protests today other than in a few high schools.

I saw a few gilets jaunes at exit 14 on A1 today - they were distributing free tickets for the highway. Since I have a telepass, I just shrugged and smilled.
Some museums and Eiffel Tower will be closed on saturday and every major (responsible) politician, union leader asked for NO violence. Melenchon didn't say anything and Le Pen said there should be no violence but if there was, it was Macon's fault.
All in all, a typcial french situation. Can either defuse (most likely) or spread.

I saw a few gilets jaunes at exit 14 on A1 today - they were distributing free tickets for the highway. > did they buy those passes - how come free - sounds expensive and don't understand rational for that. Please explain?

They just let drivers through without paying tolls. They have also told drivers with electronic passes to deactivate them when driving through to avoid being charged automatically, but I think the most such people like thibaut think it is more trouble to do than it is worth.

Plus i am not a thief. I pay my dues...
I heard a lot on the radio about yellow jackets saying they would not go to Paris this saturday since they don't want to be associated with the riots. The guys you see at roundabouts, tolls etc in the provinces give an impression of 'bon enfant' : they protest, but pacifically and nearly democratically. they are not there to burn cars or smash windows, they say - and I tend to believe them.

Yes, we had no violence in St Louis and the surrounding villages, just inconvenience.

"nearly democratically" LOL

I am sort of hoping that it rains as hard tomorrow as it is raining now.

Yup. To be on the safe side, I booked a hotel before taking my flight in 2 weeks - I was thinking I'd go in the morning but don't want to be stuck in traffic jams - I don't find it a bad precaution when you have a transatlantic flight to book a room at the airport. (I went to Ibisstyle).

We had the visit the Dorothea Lange exhibit today at the Jeu de Paume because the space will be closed tomorrow.

Gorgio Armani, Chanel, Louis Vuitton all boarded up or metal fencing up.

Military personnel all over the Champs Elysees today.

We were going to visit the Nissim Comondo Museum tomorrow, nowhere near the Champs, but it is closed. Even Basilica of St Denis is closed. Sigh.

Thin

Time for a cruise on the Canal Saint Martin then.

We watched them boarding up all the stores this afternoon. I am not sure what we will do on Saturday. I have the dam tv working so at least will know what is going on. Police everywhere and army patrols. It did pour down raining. Hoping nothing happens. Glad you are doing ok Thin.