Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well yes, there are 5 demonstrations in Paris tomorrow, including one by Le Pen. The anarchists are due to arrive at Republique just before the main union demo leaves. I think that the major flashpoint could well be between the Le Pen March and a meeting to commemorate someone who drowned after being thrown into the Seine by Le Pen supporters some years ago. These are within a few hundred metres of each other and at the same time. Everyone I've spoken to has been appalled by what has happened. There is another election for the parliamentary deputies in a few weeks time - I think voting patterns will be a little different. The French have a habit of using the first round as a protest and then voting for the 'real' candidate in the second round. As you say it backfired this time. At the moment I plan to take some shots of the Le Pen march in the morning and then go to the big march from Republique to Nation with a French friend in the afternoon. Like me she's a coward when it comes to violence, so don't expect too many 'action' shots :-) Steve - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Nathan Wajsman Sent: 30 April 2002 06:45 To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Steve Unsworth PAW week 17 Hi Steve, Indeed. Nice grafitti though, they should just leave it as is... Actually, one thing that few media have stressed (except the Economist, of course) is that Le Pen only got a couple of % more than in 1995, hardly a slide towards fascism in the French electorate; the real news is the low vote for Chirac and the division on the left--the Communists plus the 3 Trotskyites got 10.5% combined. If only half of those votes had gone to the Socialists, Jospin would have won comfortably with Chirac in 2nd place and nobody would be discussing what in the world has happened in France. I guess this result will teach people that voting for your favourite kook in the 1st round is not always costless. Nathan - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html