Kisau Photography

Gilets Jaunes Acte X

I walked along the Gilets Jaunes on Saturday as they were swarming the streets of Paris to protest for the 10th weekend in a row.

We started on the Champs-Élysées, strolled down Avenue Marceau, and crossed the Pont de l’Alma. That’s where I said goodbye as the Gilets Jaunes continued their march towards Les Invalides.

The protests I observed were peaceful, unlike prior weekends and the demonstrations that took place outside of Paris that day. But shattered safety windows, boarded storefronts, defaced buildings, and security shutters rolled down were noticeable throughout the city.

What next?

The question remains as to whether France can be governed. Charles de Gaulle wasn’t sure when he said of France, “How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?”

As with the government shutdown in the United States, there are no easy answers – with unrealistic expectations on both sides.