There has been much shared on the media internationally about life in Paris right now and I do get a lot of worrying emails and Instagram messages askign about how things are here. Honestly, I’d like to say that yes we do see the Yellow Vests sometimes on saturday afternoons, but like you – we mostly see them on the news.
Our life (speaking for myself and close friends) is mostly untouched. It is however unfortunate that some protestors have gotten violent to the point of even burning a Newspaper Kiosque on the Champs-Elysee.
Their goal is to create a media blast and that they have done.
They are not out to harm “us regular folks” in general. They often throw stones, breaking the glass of the national banks, big brands (like Hugo Boss) and some closed Cafe along it’s Saturday afternoon route.
You’d be surprised to see that one or two streets over people are having a coffee on terrace or walking thier children to the Park.
My family feels safe. And my advice for anyone coming to Paris is do it – flights are probably even cheaper now because of the media scare.
Be aware that on Saturday afternoons though there are some streets like the Champs Elysees to be avoided, then again there is so much more to discover in Paris.
I spoke at length about WHY and HOW they are protesting. A lot of is has to do with mixed sentiments about the social services, retirement and more, but all got started because someone made a video that went viral on social media about the increase in gas prices. A lot of people not only in France, but Europe have also piggybacked on this riot, to bring light to their cause but this has only confused the general public more in understanding what they are really fighting for.
From my point of view habitants in small towns outside of Paris in other parts of France may have been more effected. In Paris most of the banks repair the windows the next day -or simply leave it barracaded for the next weekend.
I feel sympathy for anyone who feels unsupported by the government like many of the Yellow Vests. However, as a part of the general public, we are not seeing conversations about how we can help, just outbursts of violence on Saturdays. It would be better to have weekly meetings in various arrondissements in Paris to create more understanding and possible support from the public. My sentiments that 50% of the people care and 50% feel like life has remained pretty much unchanged, just with a few broken windows here and there.
