France on Strike

Photos taken yesterday in Paris.

Paris, and France in its entirety, is a place of contrasting images, a chaos on the edge of collapse to even deeper levels of entropy, a labyrinth whose walls are in random movement, where the path can be easily lost, never to be found again. Welcome to the realm of the Joker!

These are… “Hôpitaux de Paris” or the “Hospitals of Paris” employees, protesting in front of a grey building that is… Pierre & Marie Curie campus of the Sorbonne University – the medical unit of the renowned university, that is, where future doctors are trained. Paradoxical, isn’t it?!

Paris is the epicenter of culture in France. Here are the “bouquinistes” (used books sellers) on the “bords de Seine” (Seine River banks) – quite a peaceful, artistic and intelligent place – contrasting with the crowd of protesters howling as much as possible, singing, screaming and throwing firecrackers.

A bit of French rap was absolutely necessary. In the meantime, the French president is on the other side of the globe, ignoring all this. It is a known strategy to disregard something or somebody or some issues, so as not to give them power. Smart or not so smart?! As the French say, “la situation est compliquée” (the situation is complicated).

There is a malaise, a mal-être (discomfort) in the French society, a mixture of sadness, indifference, apprehension, tension and anger. The French are an emotional nation, the kind of society that can blow up when the critical pressure has been reached. Nobody knows when or how, but the end is near.


Also on Substack – Paris în grevă 
https://cezardanilevici.substack.com/p/paris-in-greva

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