Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

(Photo Diary) 8th demonstration against pension reform & Sarkozy.

by LEP Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 11:08:21 AM EST

Yesterday we had the eighth street demonstration against Sarkozy's pension reform particularly and the Sarkozy government in general. In Paris, it was considered a washout, (although there were still some fifty or sixty thousand there) partly due to the weather which was continual rain, and also the fact that the law has passed and the stage will move to the political arena. There is also some bickering among the unions, primarily the CGT and the Force Ouvriere. I understand, however, that there were good crowds in Lyon and Toulouse.

I was home in the country for the weekend but an allergic attack caused an early return to Paris so I stopped at Nation, the terminus of the march, around 5:15. It was almost dark and difficult to take photos,but I managed a few.

This is what it looked like yesterday.

                           

More photos in the comments.

P.S. I'm guessing this will be the last in this series of photo diaries so thanks for looking.


Display:
I notice that a lot of women seem quite pissed.



Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 11:35:18 AM EST



Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 11:58:02 AM EST



Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 12:12:11 PM EST

And finally the cleanup crews at the end of the march!



Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 12:26:38 PM EST
After the demonstration I went to a Thai restaurant for a bowl of hot soup and a glass of water which I photographed using the SvenTriloquist photography techniques, which he taught to me at the last meet up.

As Sven said to me: "If you can take a good photo of a glass of water, you can take a good photo of anything." ;)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 12:36:11 PM EST

What is this technique ?  Remember also Capa's advice about getting closer - unless you wanted the glass to look sad and lonely and the focus not to seem as clear as it might :-)

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.

by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Mon Nov 8th, 2010 at 06:38:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You see, it worked; it's not easy to give a glass of water a personality and make it look 'sad and lonely' ;)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Mon Nov 8th, 2010 at 06:45:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
There was still a very good turnout in our local town yesterday, but clearly the numbers are declining from one march to the next. So most people I spoke to agreed this type of action should stop, it just plays into the readymade Sarkozy communications strategy.

One black lady with a loudspeaker, however, wanted everyone to march on Paris along the train lines, shutting the economy of the country down as we went. Stirring stuff, but no takers I could see.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 04:05:32 PM EST
Sorry to hear that the allergy problem is still driving you from your nice place in the country - but well done for covering the rather sad demo- especially for doing so in the rain. You deserved the Thai meal :-)


Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Sun Nov 7th, 2010 at 06:19:53 PM EST


Display:
Go to: [ European Tribune Homepage : Top of page : Top of comments ]