An evening at the Bastille
So today Cady and I were resting from our trek to the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero, and had listened to the march go down Blvd Ste-Germain out our hotel window for a couple of hours. We decided after it was quiet to go grab a crepe and follow the huge trail of paper and trash left in the wake to see the match.
For those that don't know, today is May Day, a.k.a. International Labour Day. In the US it was deemed "Law Day" because we can't be the same as those filthy socialist and communists in the rest of the world (a.k.a. almost all other industrial nations in the G8).
Whatev. \/\/
By the time we wound our way past Notre Dame, through Île St Louis and up to the Bastille plaza by the opera house, the bulk of the crazyness of the march had subsided and only the pro-Socialist Protesters remained in play. It was obvious that the Protesters were struggling to overcome the deficit they faced when the red card came out. The Gendarmerie tried to keep the game light, but that only angered their opponents and the orange banners came out and the crowds chanting began anew. As if by a collective sigh the boss of the blue team decided to end the constant stoppage of play with petty penalties the red team was invoking and sent in fresh strikers to end the match. Wave after wave of walled posititions frustrated the red team until they had to relent and pull back. The orange banners dissapeared and their brandishers melted into the local match crowd as if on cue.
With no one but the Gendarmerie left on the field, the match was called, and we wandered back to our base in-between the Latin Quarter and St. Michel to rest up for our next adventure.
Video via cell phone of some of the key plays when I return to the states ^_^
For those that don't know, today is May Day, a.k.a. International Labour Day. In the US it was deemed "Law Day" because we can't be the same as those filthy socialist and communists in the rest of the world (a.k.a. almost all other industrial nations in the G8).
Whatev. \/\/
By the time we wound our way past Notre Dame, through Île St Louis and up to the Bastille plaza by the opera house, the bulk of the crazyness of the march had subsided and only the pro-Socialist Protesters remained in play. It was obvious that the Protesters were struggling to overcome the deficit they faced when the red card came out. The Gendarmerie tried to keep the game light, but that only angered their opponents and the orange banners came out and the crowds chanting began anew. As if by a collective sigh the boss of the blue team decided to end the constant stoppage of play with petty penalties the red team was invoking and sent in fresh strikers to end the match. Wave after wave of walled posititions frustrated the red team until they had to relent and pull back. The orange banners dissapeared and their brandishers melted into the local match crowd as if on cue.
With no one but the Gendarmerie left on the field, the match was called, and we wandered back to our base in-between the Latin Quarter and St. Michel to rest up for our next adventure.
Video via cell phone of some of the key plays when I return to the states ^_^