The firemen's demonstration blocked a lot of central Paris this afternoon, and it didn't help that it was raining. The bus stops have recently put in a convenient system that tells you how long you have to wait till the next bus. Here the sign just says "Demonstration." No telling how long it'll be till the next bus.
I had to go across Paris tonight. There was an amazing number of police , gendarmes (which are not the same thing), soldiers in camouflage, and CRS about. In front of the Assemblée Nationale, there were about six buses of CRS. I heard that the firemen's demonstration deteriorated and there was a bagarre [fight]; some cops were hurt.
As I came up the hill of the rue Saint-Jacques, I saw the elegant Garde Républicaine, with plumed helmets, going by on their tall horses. They looked just like these photos, only without the banners. I don't suppose they had been to the demonstration, though. 
Forcément, quand ce ne sont pas des jeunes étudiants, les CRS font moins les malins... Quand j'en ai vu un se faire détériorer par des pompiers à la télé, je n'ai pas pu retenir un petit rire de satisfaction sadique. Mort aux vaches! (ça y est je vais prendre 15 ans de taule).
From Sedulia: [Translation:] Of course, when it's not young students, the CRS doesn't show off as much....When I saw one getting pushed around by the firemen on television, I couldn't help a little laugh of sadistic satisfaction. Mort aux vaches! (There it is, I'm going to get 15 years in the slammer.)
Posted by: Iggnir | 27 November 2006 at 12:12