Tag Archives: demonstrations May 1st
May 1st: A Hard Rain on The Parade
May 1st has forever been a big day in France. Long before the invention of trade unions (credited today to the USA by a Paris radio station!) and street demonstrations, it was a day of festivities and magic. Pots and bunches of lilies of the valley are sold on street corners now as centuries ago, […]
The Rites of Spring
In France, the first day of May marries two traditions that have absolutely nothing to do with each another: offering a bouquet of lilies of the valley to one’s nearest and dearest, and celebrating International Labor Day. The noisy parade routes, jammed with union members and sympathizers waving banners, are lined with sausage stands […]
MayDay in Paris
Thousands of voices chanting slogans, ongoing pops and cracks of ‘petards’ and Molotov cocktails, invade pdv’s room. An hour ago I was down there in the street flooded by tense mixture of anger and joy. Wherever people turn up in balaclavas (see photo) you might just anticipate trouble. Amazing though, all these baby carriages and […]
POINT de VUE: PARIS 
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