Ironically the teenagers stole the show from the adults over in France last week. While the adults were busy in a massive strike to protest common sense reforms to the socialist state [e.g. not allowing certain workers to retire in their 50's with full benefits, maybe reexamining that 35 hour work week, maybe even looking at the practice of two hour lunches and five weeks guaranteed vacation], the teenagers took over with a little riot of their own. By the way, it was by all accounts an impressive strike. The transportation services were virtually shut down, much like they did in 2005 and 1995.Seems while les adultes were out on the streets railing [get the pun?] against this massive bout of common sense, two teenagers north of Paris were killed when their motorbike rammed into a police car. The end result of that tragedy, bien sur, was to declare war against the police. Thus began a few days of attacks on cops, in which the rioters used hunting rifles to snipe at the cops, hurled Molotov cocktails at police, and burned and looted countless stores and even an elementary school. It appears that the worst is over now, but this riot did steal the thunder from the greves of the past two weeks.
More on the strikes later, including some stories from my experiences during the unbelievable strikes of 1995 that I got to see first-hand when I was living in Paris. I know Mitch is looking forward to that.
By the way, here's what the metro in Paris looked like during the strike.; actually this looks pretty normal for a Metro stop. Black is a pretty popular color over there in Pay-ree.*Extra points if you can find Santa Claus in civilian clothes.
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