They keep getting bigger

Today I skipped school - and by skipped I mean I called ahead and asked if any students showed up instead of walking to campus and sitting with the teachers comparing notes on how few students showed up - today I skipped school and watched the demonstrations in Grenoble. It's was close to 70 degrees today with clear skies. This, coupled with the national anger at President Chirac's speech last Friday, made for a large turnout.

I left the house at 10am to meet some French friends and other language assistants at a cafe near the start of the protest march route. Eve brought croissants which we ate with our coffee while waiting for everyone else to show up. Around 10:30 we set off with the crowd, feeling slightly awkward by our non-French status.

Buses and trams were halted for the day. The demonstrators had full access to the streets. Observing police in riot gear stayed on the sidewalks and traffic cops redirected traffic.

Like most protests, there was an energetic feeling. Several people had drums and banners and loudspeakers playing music. It wasn't a large stretch to make jokes comparing it to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (What corporation would sponsor a labor march? Certainly not Wal-mart.)

Later in the day, after eating lunch (picking a restaurant was like herding cats) we stopped to watch a crowd of more angry, confrontational demonstrators taunt and antagonize several dozen riot police in the center of town. We lingered for a while to see what would happen. Would there be broken bottles hurled at the cops? Tear gas? Would the McDonald's be looted? Not taking the bait, the bored cops held their composure and the protestors put on more sunscreen.

We went for coffee.

It's now 9pm and I can hear occasional chanting and sirens continuing through the open kitchen window. I'm in for the night, not tempted to see what happens next.

Is it a revolution? Not really. Is it a sideshow? Not at all. It's another example of the conflict growing within France. It's French democracy. It's a visually stunning display of controlled anger by a highly literate, informed, and educated population.

We'll see if any of them show up for school tomorrow.