Flickr Photograph

Place de la Nation, Paris, France, March 18, 2006 - 18:41
The photographer describes this photograph as “due to outside provocators, the anti-CPE demonstration turned violent and a car has just been burnt (right of the frame). In addition, protesters have just thrown some kind of “bombs” (not sure how to call them), giving that pink glow to the smoke.”

UPDATE: “Girl With a Movie Camera” who has left a comment here filmed the Paris demonstration: The Video Until the youths began torching vehicles, they looked like a civilized and lovely bunch; the antithesis of the “Moonbats on Parade” that we see here during U.S. demonstrations. (Both “Expose the Left” and “JunkYardBlog” have video of the American Moonbats.) The stunning photograph above is from -

DEMONSTRATIONS is a photo story of the March 18th, 2006 demonstration in Paris against a new labour law passed by the government despite a majority of the French population being against it.

This law, backed by French PM Dominique de Villepin, will create a new form of two-year contract (the infamous CPE, First Employment Contract) for under-26-year-olds which employers can break off at any time without explanation.

Half of France’s universities are now under some form of strike or occupation. The protests of March 18th, all across the country, were joined not only by students but by their families.

Unfortunately, as is too often the case, the end of the day was spoiled by 100 to 150 “casseurs” (lit. “breakers”) who provoked the riot police throwing bottles, stones and finally burning down a car.

After the unrest and riots in the suburbs last year, this is reflecting the growing uneasiness and despair of the youth about the lack of opportunities, and their desillusion towards the politicians.

More than 20% of 18 to 25-year-olds are unemployed (double the national average) and among the poorest communities, it reaches 40%.

The image, March 18, 2006 - 18:41, was originally uploaded by Hugo (looking for his pink elephant). It is posted here from flickr

Linked at Don Surber’s “France Hates Capitalism”.