1 March 2006
I walked past a protest at Republique. They wanted better treatment for immigrant doctors who work in hospitals, I think.
1 March 2006
I walked past a protest at Republique. They wanted better treatment for immigrant doctors who work in hospitals, I think.
1 March 2006
If you see a french-language description of a "burrita," you should just leave the restaurant because nothing good will come of it.
7 March 2006
«Paris aime l'égalité»
"Paris loves equality"
Public sign celebrating international women's day.
18 Mars 2006
Anti-war protesters at the Place de la Concorde
18 Mars 2006
Anti-war protesters at the Place de la Concorde
18 Mars 2006
Somebody told me that the Maoists were Turks, but she seemed to think that one could not simultaneously be both things.
The guy on the flag is Bob Avakian.
18 Mars 2006
There weren't more people at the anti Iraq war protest because most of France was more concerned about domestic issues.
Anti-CPE marchers stretched as far as I could see.
18 Mars 2006
This march was mostly students, but the unions are with them.
18 Mars 2006
This is by Gobelin. Marchers stretch from here all the way across the Seine and probably several kilometers in the other direction too.
18 Mars 2006
In the back there is a band on a flatbed truck, with speakers, drums, a bass and some microphones. The would improvise harmony and percussion lines to accompany chanters. Very good idea.
18 Mars 2006
Giant pink teddy bears favor fair job laws.
18 Mars 2006
«Retrait du CPE»
"Withdraw the CPE law"
Graffiti on an ATM
20 Mars 2006
I was at a bakery in Bagnolet and I noticed that they had a price listed for a divorcé. What kind of dessert could that be? Would it be bitter, I wondered.
What you see here is about as big as my head. The bottom is a puff pastry shaped like a large donut. It's topped with a hard caramel layer. In the donut hole part, there's a big glob of a vanilla-pudding-like filling. On top of that there are three smaller puff pastries. They also are topped with hard caramel. They have the same vanilla filling in the middle. On top of them is too more puff pasties of the same sort, and finally a sole one on top. The whole thing is glued together with copious amounts of whipped cream.
It was just too too too much, but if I were getting divorced again (god help me) it would take my mind off my sorrows. But I think it should be chocolate rather than vanilla in that case.
24 Mars 2006
Flowers bloom in the community garden near the Canal St Martin.
24 Mars 2006
Flowers bloom in the community garden near the Canal St Martin.
24 Mars 2006
Flowers bloom in the park near the Canal St Martin.
24 Mars 2006
Flowers bloom in the park near the Canal St Martin.
24 Mars 2006
We noticed a tea room and stopped in for some tea.
25 Mars 2006
«Bambi: elle est noire, mais elle est belle»
"Bambi: she is black, but she is beautiful"
If ever there was a subway ad more in need of correction via paint and sharpie...
There are some things that are better in France and there are somethings that are better in the US. This is not a French win.
36 Mars 2006
An empty Place de la Sorbonne
26 Mars 2006
Police have blockaded all around the University.
Today, I read, "There is no such thing as a gratuitous act of destruction or violence. Granted certain acts are stupid or non-strategic but all of them express a rage and a determination. . ." an interesting thought from http://libcom.org/blog/statement-from-an-occupier-of-ehess/03/26/2006
26 Mars 2006
«Non aux lois antisociale»
"No to anti-social laws"
Across the street from La Sorbonne
Today, I read, "We have absolutely no confidence in the media and we will do everything we can to expose the lies that they spread. It is by speaking out, by writing on the walls and in the subways, by word of mouth, and by the alternative media that we want to validate the truth, to make real connections and convergence. We will use our actions, be them property destruction or fighting the cops, to prove that we have matured." http://libcom.org/blog/statement-from-an-occupier-of-ehess/03/26/2006
28 Mars 2006
Place de Republique is about 300 meters from my flat. I just learned that there were water cannons and tear gas here a bit earlier (no wonder I kep hearing sirens!), so I took a walk down to take a look.
Eveything was done with except riot police milling around and a lot of broken glass on the ground. Even the water from the cannons had dried up already.
28 Mars 2006
The largest day of protest against the CPE yet featured a general strike and a march that ended up at Place de Republique, about 300 meters from my flat.
When I got there, most protesters were gone, but hundreds or riot police were still milling aorund
28 Mars 2006
There were a few anti-CPE protesters left, including this brass duo. On the right, a woman is playing trumpet. On the left, a man is playing the helicon.
The helicon is a cousin of the sousaphone, but the bell doesn't curve and is much less flared. In the US, there're extremely rare. This was only about the 4th time I'd ever seen or heard one.
28 Mars 2006
Cola en face de chez mcdo, à Plas de Republique, Paris, France
No (alas) Mc Donalds didn't have every single one of their windows broken. Because they know what's what and the virtue of planning ahead. When they heard protesters were coming, they boarded up all their windows.
The protests were against an unfair job law aimed at people under 26. But when the youth and the workers are protesting against precarity - unfair contracts, they're also protesting against crappy mcjobs, so mcdo here is not a unrelated target for their rage.
29 Mars 2006
Things are starting to look GREEN!! in the park by the canal. Also, it was full of kids running around and playing and parents and was really a very nice spring day.
29 mars 2006
Flowers are blooming!
29 mars 2006
Flowers are blooming!
