The riots are still going on (1 Viewer)

[jongood]

When we re away we tend to watch France 24. Every weekend they seemed to have coverage of riots and I do mean riots - overturned burning police vans CRS in riot gear, stun grenades etc etc.

The presence on roundabouts seems to be less but still there. I was shocked by 'Cow Island' in Rouen last Sunday. No sign of any protestors and the cows have gone but there is a row of crosses with GJs on them and marks from large fires both on the island itself and in several places on the road. It had damaged the road in places so quite likely a torched vehicle?

 

[gus-lopez]

Yes, I'm surprised you thought it had stopped.Army given 'shoot to kill permission' last weekend.Oh ,& the atc weekly strikes still go on from 2015.

 

[jongood]

Yes, I'm surprised you thought it had stopped.Army given 'shoot to kill permission' last weekend.Oh ,& the atc weekly strikes still go on from 2015.

You re jumping the gun Gus, I knew it was going on because I had seen it on the TV but its more than a bit sobering to be confronted with the aftermath.

Interestingly It didnt seem to be on Sky at all and still isnt.

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[dryad]

Army given 'shoot to kill permission' last weekend.

really? jeezus!! what an appalling state of affairs, but then, after seeing some of the recent videos posted on another thread of their police brutality.....................

 

[Ven]

Coming out of Le Mans last week on the inner ring road we were caught up in some sort of protest which involved us (and many other drivers) being trapped between VERY slow moving lorries along a dual carriageway for a few miles. Luckily at a filter Dave managed to escape but when we got to the next roundabout all entry roads on to the roundabout had been barricaded with lorries except ours (presumably the lorries we had escaped were about to block it) and there were dozens of men (some in masks) running around. They were also burning tyres and trying to roll them in the way of traffic.

It was a bit intimidating and we were glad to get away from it. It caught us on the hop as we thought they had died down for the time being.

We did a 4 hour non toll journey that day and it was the only protest we saw.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Thanks for the update, bit of an event !.


Making me think of switching routes now.

We are heading to Austria and was going to head from Zeebrugge. Down through Nancy, Metz into Luxembourg.

Might sound like an Odd route to take to Austria but not sure if we might just skirt it and try skiiing in Italy.

If we do go to Austria, I would like to call in on some friends who live in Lörach, Germany.

TM

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[funflair]

When we re away we tend to watch France 24. Every weekend they seemed to have coverage of riots and I do mean riots - overturned burning police vans CRS in riot gear, stun grenades etc etc.

The presence on roundabouts seems to be less but still there. I was shocked by 'Cow Island' in Rouen last Sunday. No sign of any protestors and the cows have gone but there is a row of crosses with GJs on them and marks from large fires both on the island itself and in several places on the road. It had damaged the road in places so quite likely a torched vehicle?

RIP the cows, how will we know we are going the right way now

Martin

 

[jongood]

RIP the cows, how will we know we are going the right way now

Martin

I'm harbouring a hope that they ve only kidnapped them.......

 

[Armytwowheels]

Driving around the outskirts of Rouen yesterday and one island looked like a battle had been fought there. The road was scorched and melted in many places and the island itself looked like a ploughed field, or bomb crater. No protesters in sight though, luckily.

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[Lot lover]

Here in the middle of nowher the only evidence of the gj is an old caravan, covered in graffiti, and some pallets abandoned next to a roundabout in Gramat. No signs at all in St Cere or Cahors.

Perhaps only the hardcore Rent-an-Anarchist are still at it. As for the shoot to kill policy I am in favour when the protestors begin attacking the police forces with anything handy, Molotov cocktails, lumps of concrete, placard sticks as spears etc

 

[jongood]

Here in the middle of nowher the only evidence of the gj is an old caravan, covered in graffiti, and some pallets abandoned next to a roundabout in Gramat. No signs at all in St Cere or Cahors.

Perhaps only the hardcore Rent-an-Anarchist are still at it. As for the shoot to kill policy I am in favour when the protestors begin attacking the police forces with anything handy, Molotov cocktails, lumps of concrete, placard sticks as spears etc

We saw quite a few on the way down in January none of them looked like 'rent-a-mob' most looked like manual/office workers to me although the news reports from Paris looked different.

Its been going on a long time now but we ve been away - has much of this been on the UK news?

 

[tacr2man]

Very little coverage by UK MSM (as expected) , they dont want us getting Ideas . The MSM in UK is very "controlled" these days .

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[DC4JC]

2 days ago just before Le Mans we were travelling on the A28, when they closed the mway and directed everything off through a minor toll section, with only 2 barriers big enough for lorries and big vehicles etc. It was chaos. Everyone was paying to get off, go round the exit roundabout and get straight back on the mway.
Unfortunately for us before we could do this a lot of police vehicles arrived and blocked the entrance slip road to the mway. Shortly afterwards a flatback truck arrived, with about 20 people in front of it with ski masks, very intimidating. On the back of the truck were about 50-60 people, heading for the mway!
This put about 2 hrs on our journey.

 

[David and Sally]

Why I'm avoiding France - and other reasons like prices.

 

[trophychap]

Hopefully the cowhide painted (concrete) wall round the dairy opposite is still there? Wonder if the council have em in safe custody?

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[denisejoe]

We were in st lo a few weeks ago only had yv walking from tourist office up the hill to first rab around it about 5 times then back down they are complaining about old people dying from hunger as food is getting expensive now

 

[JockandRita]

@jongood. We are in the same boat as yourselves Jon, ie, witnessed peaceful protests on the way down in December, and thought it was peetering out before we headed back. We crossed into France on Sunday making our way up to north of Paris via the non toll A75, A77, A104/N104 with D routes in-between. We have only seen one location where the GJs were still evident.

The final leg to Calais will be done tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Stealaway]

and other reasons like prices.

I been telling you lot for two years how expensive it's become in France - Did anybody listen?

Even the yellow vests have noticed

We are still going over on the 14th April for a month

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[yodeli]

Yes, I'm surprised you thought it had stopped.Army given 'shoot to kill permission' last weekend.Oh ,& the atc weekly strikes still go on from 2015.

Well..... even if the result might sound just the same it is not exactly "shoot to kill" order.
In fact Army (this group at least which is called sentinelle) is meant to fight terrorism, and they usually interfere when the "vigipirate" alert is ON. These guys are not prepared to deal with civils and only have real guns/machine guns.

They have been asked to look after the main precious and old buildings of Paris, in case those nasty people would try to destroy them. Meanwhile, being discharged of this problem, the police could deal with the nasty destroyers.

Now ... if in spite of the police actions, they manage to get nearer the old monuments or museums, the army will give 2 loud warnings and then, will only have their real guns to stop them. This information has been largy released on TV and radio. We all hope they won't have to but 2 saturdays ago, Paris was on flames. Violence was so high, is it now very difficult to imagine a peaceful way to stop them. Lots of our firemen, policemen and civils were very badly wounded. Some people lost their flat/house being on fire. It is sad, so sad.

 

[Lenny HB]

Until reading this thread I thought it had practicly died out.
Traveled down though France starting on the 22nd Feb came back up over the last few days only seen the odd few GJ here and there.

 

[yodeli]

@Lenny HB Yes, it is as you say except in big towns such as Paris of course, where the power sits, and Toulouse or Bordeaux.
Toulouse has suffered a lot as well. Lots of shops don't exist anymore. Either for having been on fire or because of bankrupcy as no one (a tad clever and/or peaceful!) don't go shopping in Town Center. Even the employees don't want to go to work!

Every saturday it's the same : Police, firemen, ambulances, disaster.... despair.... tears...
Honestly even if they are peaceful people , Gilets Jaunes should stop because THEY are giving opportunities to real nasty people to take advantage of the situation and rot all the place.

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[Ven]

@Lenny HB Yes, it is as you say except in big towns such as Paris of course, where the power sits, and Toulouse or Bordeaux.
Toulouse has suffered a lot as well. Lots of shops don't exist anymore. Either for having been on fire or because of bankrupcy as no one (a tad clever and/or peaceful!) don't go shopping in Town Center. Even the employees don't want to go to work!

Every saturday it's the same : Police, firemen, ambulances, disaster.... despair.... tears...
Honestly even if they are peaceful people , Gilets Jaunes should stop because THEY are giving opportunities to real nasty people to take advantage of the situation and rot all the place.

I am not surprised people are staying away and feel so sorry for people losing their homes and businesses. The men with masks over their faces we saw were very intimidating and you can only assume they will be up to no good if they feel the need to hide their identities.

 

[jongood]

Its on France 24 every weekend but not on the bbc.