📰 Source: upgoat.net | Upgoat

✍️ Original author: Metanoid

⬆️ score: 24

v/whatever · by u/Metanoid

📝 Original content:

I live in a midsize city in southern France. My boy had heard about the protests that were to take place and asked if we could go. It was supposed to be Gilet Jaunes, the yellow vest wearing protesters from several years ago, as well as syndicates and youth protestors from the previous weeks. This is not what I found. I checked where the protests were supposed to be and saw that there had been some destruction of businesses and altercations. Figured we’d still go anyhow. We get there and police all over vans driving fast through traffic, roads shut down, the works. I’m already seeing wafts of smoke and the smell of pepper spray already tinging the air and we’re still a block away. We finally get within view on the main road that links the 2 big city plazas in the downtown. Thousands of people, young and old were out. In the distance I could see 2 lines of police keeping the access to the posh business strip in controlled access. Thats also the way to city hall. Anyhow we headed in to the mess to see up close what was going on. Protestors throwing things at the cops, cops shooting tear gas, people run regroup and return. Rinse. Repeat. We had some tear gas shot at our feet so I decided to work around town to the other side to see what was up. We get there and its more of the same though on that side a bit rowdier. Firework mortars being fired. I saw a guy filling glass bottles with gravel. A group with 2 dumpsters going from garbage can to garbage can to get more fuel. Some groups of arabs, but not as many as I expected. These were french people doing this. We followed the eb and flow of the crowd for about another hour and then headed off. I’m not sure what to make of what is going on here, but I can tell you all this. We’ve been being hit hard on the pocket books. The government takes around 80% of all income through various taxes, and we’re getting less and less out of it. The people are pissed. I hear it all the time. Oh yeah, and my kid. Had the time of his life

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