So, it's been quite the day for protests, demonstrations and cops. Lots of cops. The local Parisian police, the gendarmes are much about, but even more the national police have swamped the city - and are in full riot gear, including the riot shields, helmets and we even spotted one with a gas mask. Oh, and by the way, they don't like to have their pictures taken. Nope. Not at all.
Vol K and I even wondered if it might be against the law, so stern were the looks.
Vol K: is there no freedom of the press?
Me: I don't know, maybe not.
Vol k: but it's a free country, right?
Together: No.
Vol K: I guess that's why they're French fries not freedom fries, right?
Anyway we saw 4 protests/public disorders that the French thought were worth dispatching police for.
1. About 20 people protesting to free the something lama - maybe that's the missing boy in Tibet or Nepal or somewhere (I'll update later when I have a chance to do some research - Update, yep - missing boy in Tibet.)
2. About 80 people protesting the poor treatment of Coptic Christians in Egypt (we had earlier loads of police and barricades in front of the Egyptian consulate.)
3. About 12 people surrounded by about 20 riot police near Notre Dame and penned in against a monument commemorating Napoleon's victories. No idea what that was about, but the 12 people, sort of hippy looking, didn't seem that bothered (however the riot cop did when he saw me taking a picture)
4. The madness on the Champs Elysee after Paris won the French football championship tonight . The parisians were definitely in high spirits, honking their horns, people running around shouting. But it seemed good natured, unlikely to turn ugly, but just in case the riot cops lined the streets, stoney-faced, gas masks at the ready.
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