Friday, March 17, 2006

I almost got killed after I took this one!


Of course I am extremely pleased to greet Venice, Kuala Lumpur, Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville and Bazainville in our Daily photo blog family but, frankly there is only one place on earth where there is all the fun at the moment, it's Paris! I took this shot today in the rue de Rennes (6th arrondissement), especially for you. It shows one of the - many - student demonstrations that took place today. (I sound a bit ironic but providing things are getting a little tense now, I should probably be more serious about all this now...).

(PS: if you're interested in this scene click here, you will see 3 other photos (2 before and 1 after this shot)

29 comments:

  1. un clichés digne d'un photographe del'AFP bonne continuation

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  2. Eric, risking his life for his blog - now that's dedication!

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  3. Also, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Is it celebrated in France? In the U.S. it's generally just an excuse to drink green (!) beer.

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  4. Buzzgirl, isn't St. Patrick's Day tomorrow - 17 March? Who knows what Eric has up his sleeve.

    So Eric, are you sure this is a demonstration and not a Pride parade? Also, it looks warmer there now, is it? I love the way the hair in the guy's wig is swinging and the Montparnasse tower in the background. Is that a Breton flag in the air also?

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  5. michael> Yes, it is a Breton flag. But what did you expect rue de Rennes? ;~)

    Great picture. Du grand reportage, du grand art meme...

    JM-

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  6. What were the students protesting about? BTW, cool site and love the photos, only makes me want to go visit Paris again.

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  7. OK. University students,IOK, if you say so, but what university is the guy with the pink hair? ;-)

    Well done, though; taking a shot of a crowd of people as they are walking towards you is rather gutsy! Take it eaysy, man, we love the blog but we'd love it even more if you tried to stay alive! (at least they were not CRS charging ) ;-)

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  8. Thank you Eric for your greetings. Hot in Paris isn't it. Spring is early this year!

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  9. Michael: The photo IS dated 17 March - St. Paddy's Day!

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  10. I read it in the newspaper today - indeed lot's of things happening in Paris in the moment!

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  11. > Joe. Just a quick input to make it more understandable. The French government has passed a new law that allows companies that hire young people (well, under 26, the ones who suffer from the highest unemployement rate in France) to let them go without notice (well 15 days) within their two first year in the job - like a long trial period if you prefer).

    This is very new in France for the law here is usely very protective for employees. On the other hand companies say that if they don't hire more people it's because it is too hard to fire someone who does not fit.

    On their end students say that if they have a 2 year trial period the banks won't lend them money, the tenants won't let them apartments, because they can be fired overnight.

    I hope it's more clear to you.

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  12. The difference between you and me, Eric is, would I have run if I'd been in front of this smiling pink haired guy !!!

    ;o)

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  13. Hi Eric, these people seem to be really charging towards you! This would make an excellent photo for newspaper.

    What benefits does the French government think this new law will bring to its people? Or is it just considering the benefits of the business sector? Or it thinks this would raise employmenet rate?

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  14. Existe-t-il une manif en France sans son drapeau breton ? :)

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  15. I'm with students but I do not approve what are they doing!
    I've seen newspaper ...they are making war in the streets of Paris ! but today it has becoming a standard if u want that govern hear u're rights ! Also in Italy every demonstrations become a little city war!!!!

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  16. You're right buzzgirl...I'm used to being on THAT side of the ocean seeing the photos, so now realise it was posted at 00:59 17 March. Oh well, let's hope everybody went out for a green beer together after the protests.

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  17. Bravo Eric pour votre courage. Cette photo est excellente!

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  18. This definitely has a different look than our protests in the 60's. A 2-year trial period may not be good for this guy. But somehow I think he'd more likely be self-employed.

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  19. Pink hair and rampaging students gives new meaning to colour and movement - great social commentary

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  20. this picture is truly ballsy...after I´ve seen that the police was firing rubber bullets on the students you might as well been caught in the line of fire. As far as I can say I totally support these students because they have passed this rule here in Argentina and a young person´s job only lasts ca. 6 month tops. they get fired on no notice and you have to finbd your way to survive by taking other job that might fire you in 6 months again...but I am totally against violent behaviour but here its´the same like in Italiy like joe said.

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  21. Hi Eric! I commented on your photos over on Lino's blog...but I should really do it here too (and not in spanish!) I really love your eye for composition, and the often fresh angle you take to the subject matter. I've bookmarked you so I can return often!

    I live in Vancouver (as does Lino), and I notice that the link you have to a Vancouver photo of the day doesn't work...maybe it's just me. Oh, also I'd like to recommend Botany Photo of the Day, which is a site run by the University of British Columbia Botannical Gardens (also in Vancouver). The fellow who runs it is a fabulous close-up photographer, and I think you'd enjoy having a look.

    Thanks again for the visual feast!!

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  22. Sorry...forgot to include the link.
    Botannical Photo of the Day Click on the photos for detail.
    r

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  23. Happy St. Patrick's day!
    Love the photo - as usual!!

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  24. Tell these children to grow up! If they got a job, then they could stop burning cars and destroying the city. Why do people always think they have to be given everything by the government and not work hard to earn it like their parents did?

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  25. Well, Rafael, that's just their point, exactly! Their parents didn't have to go through a 2-year probation employment period and they don't think they should either. It's gonna take a while to get people to adapt to the fact that we are a global economy ... everywhere, not just in France.

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  26. Thanks for the Welcome! and are you ok...

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  27. Great photographs Eric! I've read on another site that someone had his camera broken after he took some photographs of the demonstrations. It was in Toulouse if I remember well. I suppose students are afraid that they could be photographed by the police.

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