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Angry May Day In Paris

by Leon Kunstenaar, Photos: Leon Kunstenaar (kunstena)
Unions and “Yellow Vests” Abandon Restraint In Massive Protest
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Unions and “Yellow Vests” Abandon Restraint In Massive Protest

This May Day was different. No orderly assortment of leftist organizations but just two main sections. The new “Yellow Vest” protesting for the twenty fifth consecutive week and the traditional labor unions, each seeming to realize that they needed the other.

Anger and exasperation were evident hours before the start as the gathering crowd booed and insulted police walking or driving by.

The “black bloc”, ideologues and hooligans, began the battle minutes into the march, burning trash cans and throwing bottles and broken pavement at what the French call “the forces of order.”

Rather than an orderly march and demonstration with various groups presenting their demands, the march degenerated, with thousands of hitherto orderly people running to escape police charges, tear gas, and noise grenades.

With help from the corporate press, the violence became the issue, submerging the economic ones.

Long term, the Yellow Vests, with their rejection of politicians and political parties, is not helping the Left. With a clever symbol, the Yellow Vests have eclipsed the parties and politicians who have been promoting working peoples’ issues for over a century.

In a democracy, the road from progressive demand to law flows through political process, not directly from the street.

Except for coups and revolution.
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by Leon Kunstenaar, Photos: Leon Kunstenaar
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by Leon Kunstenaar, Photos: Leon Kunstenaar
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by Leon Kunstenaar, Photos: Leon Kunstenaar
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by Leon Kunstenaar, Photos: Leon Kunstenaar
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