Clowns for peace!
March 18, 2006 - 17:34
Originally uploaded by Hugo*. I'm totally enamored of this guy's Hugo*'s Flickr photostream -- largely because he's Parisian and it's like I can sightsee without even being there, and through the eyes of a local, no less! -- but even more because of the sheer excellence of his shots. Now I'm admiring him for his photojournalism as he chronicles the Paris labor riots. This picture had the following caption. "The anti-CPE demonstration is ending on Place de la Nation where people are gathering, when a group of clowns appeared in a well-humoured parody of the CRS (riot police). They used leeks as 'matraques' (bludgeons ?), strainers as helmets, and were charging the crowd to give hugs :-)
"Unfortunately, it would soon turn sour..."
The whole clown thing is both incredibly cool and incredibly French, don't you think? Just wish it'd had a farther-reaching effect. :-/