Day of Demonstrations Updated

Today was a day for big demonstrations in Paris. Although one could be called a demonstration, the other more like a riot.

The size of the crowds varied depending on whether one got the estimate from the organizers or the police but they were still pretty large.
A huge group rallied around the Place de la Republic to demonstrate in support of initiatives to stop climate change. These people were called the Green Vests (Gilets Vertes). Their demonstrations seemed to go on without too much problem.




The 18th in a series of weekly demonstrations for the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) was a different story. This was planned to be the "mother of all" demonstrations. The demonstrations originally started out as a protest against rising taxes of gasoline and were organized to take place along the elite Champs Elysees. It turned into something much more as time went by.
Coincidentally we had to cross the length of the  Champs Elysees to meet our friend Jacques to attend his birthday lunch. BUT, we were going underground and passed by all the activity above us. All six metro stops from the Place de la Concorde to the Arch de Triumph were closed due to the rioting on the streets above. When we came out of our metro stop just beyond the Arc de Triomphe, we saw many police on motorcycles and in cars heading toward the 'Arch. When we arrived at Jacques' place we saw on TV that the Champs Elysees was like a war zone with broken windows and fires in the streets.

The amazing part was that life just went on in Paris except where the action was. Although a lot of action, it was concentrated in a few spots. Our metro was on schedule. It just didn't stop at any of the stations along the Champs Elysees. On the way back it was the same, no stops. When we finally did stop, we could smell the smoke infiltrating the metro station from above.

The organizers of the Yellow Vests say that they do not encourage the violence but the won't do anything to stop it. They say the next "Manifestation" could be more violent. That remains to seen.

Update to Demonstrations

This morning, on our way to Montmartre on Line 1, we Judy, Carol and I decided to continue on the train til we got to the George V stop. We got off there an,d exited onto the Champs Elysees. We came out of the metro to see a large newspaper and book kiosk charred to its bones. Inside most of the inventory was burnt and some of  the plastic had melted.

Across the street, the well known restaurant, Le Fouquet had been burned and looted. Not much left there. There were broken window and some glass on the street. Many of the businesses had boarded up their windows before the demonstration..

One of the Yellow Vests said she was glad the hoodlums came out otherwise they would not get enough publicity.

There were many people like us with their cameras taking pictures of the damage. But life was back to normal on the Champs Elysees.