Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The sun is back, so are the demonstrations...


It's been a while since I have posted a demonstration photo. Well, since the season has reopen, here you go! Guess who is "en colère" (angry) at the moment ? The high school pupils. They marched today between Republique and Nation using pretty festive slogans mocking Sarkozy and the Education Minister. Somes things will never change... Here are some more photos.

54 comments:

  1. I love the black and white! And there's a neat contract between the mohawk and the collar of his jacket...
    I used to wish that students in the US would strike, but alas that doesn't happen...

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  2. At least the youth are involved in politics...

    Great picture, Eric!

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  3. Cool photos - I love to see demonstrations in Paris. I think it's funny that this man has more hair around his neck than on his head!!

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  4. I love how the hair on his head complements his outerwear. It's so uncommon that a man would work so hard to co-ordinate his outfit with his hairstyle. (Fantastic of you to snag such a rarity.)

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  5. Of my many weeks in your beautiful city I think I saw at least a small demonstration's every time . Many .

    ==Alaska

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  6. Well France wouldn't be France without demos would it? It's a great photo in black & white, Eric. One of my sons used to have a mohawk like this. Sometimes i used to help him style it - it's quite an art you know. he he. It's good the young have an expressive voice; i hope that sometimes they are heard. Are they protesting about the ridiculous sum of £45,000 recently paid for the nude photo of Sarkozy's wife?

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  7. Love the black and white...so funny to see his hair and coat matching so well!! :)

    Way to put yourself in the middle of the action for all of us, Eric!

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  8. Aaaaah, ça faisait longtemps!
    What a nice picture. This head is so nice!
    I like the "Darcos nuit gravement à l'éducation" et "Sarko démission" posters...I still have an unruly and rebellious spirit you know. LOL. Few years ago, I would have taken part of this kind of demonstration. I'm too well-behaved now. But I understand their claim, high school is not so far, and I remember that the conditions of education were already awful...
    Tenez bon les lycéens!

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  9. LOL Lynn, no they're not. They're protesting against the removal of lot of teaching jobs. More bad and more important I think.

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  10. Quite. I'm behind them for that. I could even sport a mohawk for the cause. Well, almost.

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  11. Sublime photo, perfect subject for b&w. If only students,or adults for that matter, could be be as animated and protest in this counrty re the eductaion sysyem cuts, and lack of government support. My partner has long since given up full time teaching to turn to supply in addition to his cartooning. Teaching is no longer the respected and
    supported occupation it once was.So, well done to the demonstrators, and well done on capturing the moment and sorry for the rant, but I feel really stongly about this.

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  12. This year, the university I attend converted to the American model, meaning that hundreds of Arts subjects were slashed in order to "streamline" undergraduate studies. The result? Less diversity, fewer teaching positions and lecture halls/tutorial rooms jammed to the rafters.

    On the other hand, it says a great deal about the current generation of students that thousands of posters were put up about the looming changes but, sadly, but that there were no protests of the kind likely to cause the powers that be to lose any sleep - or confidence - regarding their draconian decision.

    After being in operation for several weeks now, it appears that the new system is here to stay. So, although May is just around the corner, the spirit of May '68 seems light years away...

    ...but not, it seems, in Paris.

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  13. As long as there are humans on the earth there will be demonstrations.Elaine Cooke

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  14. Cool demonstration, very very cool. And a good cause too.

    Pont Girl, great observation about the guy's hair.

    Oh Pont Girl I have news for you, I get to eat free MACARONS in my work place now. I just had some today and thought of you.
    They're authentic french!

    Yes, I'm in heaven.

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  15. I've never quite understood why young men do this to their hair. Don't they know that by the time they are 50 most of them will have lost it all anyway?
    I once participated in a demonstration in Paris in 1975 then I think it was against Giscard d'Estaing but for the life of me I can't remember what we were demonstrating about. I hadn't been in Paris very long and my French was a little wanting but my fiance told me I had to march!

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  16. LOL, Mme Benaut. I have a vague recollection of marching against Debre (?) a couple of years (?) after you did but I couldn't tell you what we were protesting for or against because I didn't know and I didn't care. All I knew was that the school year was winding down, the nice weather was here at last and ...well, let's just say a teenage kid has other priorities to meet, parents and teachers just don't understand ... ;) Good times!

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  17. I think it's funny that the comments surround this guy's hair more than the demonstration. That's not a criticism, just a funny observation.

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  18. Last night I had the opportunity to hear Jacques Attali speak at a dinner. Mr. Attali is a well-known scholar in France (I know, I know, you're thinking, "What was Michael doing there then?!") and spoke about his new book/report entitled "300 décisions pour changer la France".

    In disussing the current strikes by the students, he did say that he thought they were for the "wrong reasons"...whatever that means and that Nicolas Sarkozy "only has until July before his mandate is finished." "The French must make a decision and get on with it" was one of his other most forceful reflections.

    You can download the report here which talks about the many decisions/overhauls required for France to progress. A very debated subject at the moment.

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  19. Michael...I started to print it at work and I think it is 300 pages...Mon Dieu it is still printing!! Oh no...the printer is smoking!! Merde!!!

    Oh well...I didn't know that the "Mohawk Look" was still so chic!! LOL!!!

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  20. Again, Eric, you're in the midst of action to give us these great pictures, so we can feel the beat of Paris all around.
    I love the black & white.

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  21. I guess we're all assuming that it's a GUY who has the mohawk, but there's a remote chance it's a girl! I've seen some around, but then perhaps Eric would have posted the photo in color, for most girls brighten up their mohawks! (I've only viewed this photo; perhaps when I click on "some more photos," I'll see if it's a guy!) :<)

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  22. Monica gets free macarons at work? This job was made for you Monica. Want to borrow my son's tent?

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  23. Sadly enough, I have read that the police were lobbing tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. I hope everyone is well. The spirit of "Dany le rouge" is alive and well in Paris!

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  24. lol Lynn, no thanks! But it's true, you'd be drooling over the patisserie I get to eat there!

    Michael, the report you quoted says "Sarkozy only has until July before his mandate is finished"? I don't follow..

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  25. Neither do i Monica - what does this mean, Michael please? Perhaps he and 'her indoors' are busy doing some shopping or another royal tour and have no time for politics now? Oh how i enjoy winding up! lol

    Monica i know you would never be needing the tent like i do - my joke - i, on the other hand....! If i worked with you at the hotel i'd be the size of a house for sure.

    I've heard that the French Eurovision Song entry this year, Eric, will be sung in English! The man conducting the auditions insists it's an 'artistic decision' but i must say i am most disappointed. It may be to avoid the dreaded 'nul points!' but i for one watch it only to hear the foreign languages and accents. I'm never attracted by the music (is anyone?) but now i shall not even hear the gorgeous French language. The 'off' button is looking decidedly compelling to me. What do you think of this, Eric?

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  26. Great photo Eric, captures the event very well!

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  27. Lynn I know what you mean. I certainly have to be careful with all those sweets!

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  28. I'm afraid you're right Lynn (here is the proof.

    The song is apparently called Divine and the guy looks like one of our Rugby player called Chabal.

    I agree with you, Lynn, all songs in the Eurovision contest should be sung in the native language of the country they represent (think of the beauty of Dutch or German!), otherwise there is not much point.

    Mind you coming from a Frenchman who writes his blog in English, I'm not sure I can teach anyone a lesson LOL!

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  29. Oh, man. The pesky French. Why can't they sit down and shut up like everyone else?

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  30. High school students without apathy- how refreshing! And I like the B&W!

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  31. Do you think the chicken-head is a student??? LOOLL!!!

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  32. 40 000 students and teachers in the street, pretty bad! (20 000 according to the cops).

    Jacques Attali used to be a good and very intelligent man, overqualified and competent in numerous domains. Now, he's part of the Government (deduct what you want!;)).
    Nicolas Sarkozy "only has until July before his mandate is finished." ?! That would be terrific...if it was true!

    Monica,free macarons at work?! It's slavery! LOL

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  33. By the way, here is the last year Eurovision song! I LOVE it, I find it so funny, The Fatal Picards are absolutely not serious, that's why they're great. And I totally understand why they lost! It's a kind of Franglais/Frenglish. If you speak or understand both, you'll enjoy it. Especially because of the city where it was shot... :)

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  34. Eric: The beauty of German and Dutch!? lol! You made me laugh here. But otherwise I agree with you (and Lynn). I think the songs in ESC should focus more on the songa themselves rather than the scene show - like they did in the "old times" ... Oh well! :)

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  35. Luggi LOL !!! That made me laugh out loud.

    Eric ooooh nooooo! I'll tell you; the old laptop i have borrowed because mine died, well it has no sound and i'm kind of thinking that's a good thing? Just the visual was enough. Is this band serious oh please tell me it's a joke. He looks like a left-over Bee Gee meets John Travolta. Oh goodness. I might have to be busy washing my hair on Eurovision night.

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  36. Well Guille, without sound, i looked at your last year link. Looks very amusing i think and i like his outfit. The girl does not look typically French? I think i look more francais and she looks like an English rose. It was great to travel around Paree via the singer though - anything is worth that.

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  37. Lynn, it's a joke, he wears fake hair and beard!
    About 'L'amour à la française', so bad that you didn't hear it...
    Yes she looks English, I guess that's why he mixes the two languages.

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  38. There's a great debate going on at BBC 24 news right now about the Eurovision. Good-humoured argument, very amusing. Jacques Someone says they should sing in French, but the English Someone Reporter says this is nothing new and cited that the Swiss is singing in Italian (well this is one of their languages! He got that so wrong as an example). The English reporter surprised the Frenchman by speaking in French to him half the time!

    I'm for the French, definitely! Zut alors! Mon Dieu .... er..... Merde! Did i go too far?....

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  39. Really, he too mixes? Well, what with the English reporter just now speaking half and half i think Sarkozy-So-Cosy must be right - brace yourselves, les Francais: we are MERGING! Ooooooh la la.

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  40. ...always nice to see youth passionate about something, erph! La plus ca change la plus la meme chose.

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  41. What I meant was that Jacques Attali said that if France didn't take some hard decisions now, by July he would be finished.

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  42. Very nice pictures. I love the textures in it, black and white was a great choice! :)

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  43. Monica - WHAT?? You get macarons at work?? Details please.

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  44. Pont Girl I work in a famous french hotel, so all the patisserie, all the chefs, all the boulangers are french. There's plenty of macarons, pain au chocolate, crème brulleé and many other french delicacies.
    In the area I work we get the chance to eat it, we kinda have to know all the products the hotel has to offer.
    Yesterday there were macarons and I was the happiest employee of the hotel!

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  45. LOL Monica! Congratulations again. The benefits sound great!

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  46. I'm distressed to hear that any schools outside of the United States are adhering to the "American Model." Our schools are failing the students. Kids are graduating literally without an education.

    I blame it on the "Wal-Marting" of our collective psyche. We want to have everything we can't afford, so we've gotta get it cheap. That means we cut corners. Important ones.

    It'll ruin us. I'm sad to see other countries follow in our footsteps. It'll be our downfall. Why should it be yours?

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  47. Here too, Petrea.

    Monica, how come i don't get a great job like that?! Or one like Eric's with all that eating out and socialising... sigh...

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  48. Paris would not be Paris sans les manifs.

    Love the hair.

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  49. I heard that you call Sárközy as "Sarko" in the French slang and it sounds totally like the name of the famous physician called Charcot in the late XIXth Century. This Charcot became famous with his methods of hypnotherapy for people suffering hysteria. I guess Sárközy is doing the same:)

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  50. Zsolt72 LOOOL so right!
    Except that the "S" and "CH" don't have the same pronunciation(but who cares?).

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  51. Sorry my French is not the best (means I don't speak French at all)...even to prounance Charcot is a hard task to me:)

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