Yellow Saturdays
End of February 2019
Since the beginning of the Yellow Vests movement, I no longer go downtown on Saturdays. I do not want to be in trouble for no reason , I am already quite wobbly like that!
In addition to that, the crowd movements frighten me and cause me terrible anxieties, which explains my preference for morning walks. I become "agoraphobic" at peak times !!!
On this Saturday, February 9, I had no choice, having an appointment at 10.00 am in the Gros-Horloge street. I was not afraid to meet the crowd of Yellow Vests knowing that they would start demonstrating a little later from the City Hall. What, however, was my desolation was to see the traders forced to barricade their windows and when it was not done, to see the windows ransacked. Saturdays are so lively in Rouen that I felt overwhelmed by the emptiness and the silence that reigned in the streets. No tourists, few families in the pedestrian streets of the city center. A real sadness.
A few days earlier I had met my hairdresser who told me that she had been insulted by a Yellow Vest. She has her shop on Joan of Arc street, her customers had to hide in the back of the shop as the climate was brisk. The Yellow Vest did not want to hear anything, preferring to insult her, yet she understands this movement but does not accept the violence that comes with it. I admit that I no longer understand this movement which, however, I found right from the start. The traders are not wealthy, they may live better than the average but they work hard for it and are not spared from the crisis.
I have to say that the Yellow Vests movement can be as violent as the policy of the current government. A government that feasts on this crisis and does not do much to calm the thing down, on the contrary it gives the president the opportunity to start campaigning for the next elections and thus claim that he is a bulwark against extremes. Bullshit! ... or would he say "nonsense" ?!
These extremes and thugs who embedded in the movement have diverted it. Do not be fooled, the thugs have always done their job of undermining the end of demonstrations at all times. I don't apologize it, I simply see it happening. What scares me the most are the extremists of all stripes who have encrusted themselves in the events and agitate the crowd of protestors which suddenly becomes a pack vociferating racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and others. I cannot bear hearing these insults, these violent acts which recall dark times in history.
It embarrasses me to see the Yellow Vests pacifists remain passive in the face of such inadmissible remarks. Because the majority are peaceful and want their voices to be heard. Unfortunately what remains at the end of each Saturday? What do the media and citizens remember at the end of each Saturday? ....
... breakage, insults ... which makes the game of this government.
I know they don't want to structure themselves, but it's a mistake, as long as they don't, it will be a debacle and they will end up killing each other.
Anyone who does not agree with certain self-proclaimed leaders finds themselves in the ban of the accused when on the other hand they claim that it is a movement without leaders! They cannot get along with each other and reject the person who emerges more than another, however they assure that everyone has the right to speak. It cannot work and creates chaos within the movement itself and again, it suits the government. As for the politicians, a small number want to pull the blanket and shine more than the others when some are really sincere in their approach and yet these are forgotten.
Among the conspiracy theories, an energizer ensures that the army is ready to take power, that he was threatened with being shot in the head! ... I come to think that they want their half an hour glory and seek to be the leaders of the movement without having the power for it. They stir up people's anger to become the "heads" of the movement. Without forgetting that they also use these same media that they denigrate. It's surreal.
The etymology of the political word comes from the Greek Politikè which means: science of the affairs of the City. Politics is therefore the organization of the City or nowadays the State.
There are three meanings for " Politics ":
-The global meaning Politikos (civility), indicates the organized and developed society.
-A more precise meaning Plolitea concerns the constitution and therefore the structure and functioning (methodical, theoretical and practical) of a community, a society, a social group. The policy relates to the actions, the balance, the internal or external development of this company, its internal relationships and its relationships to other groups. Politics is therefore mainly what relates to the collective, to a sum of individuals and / or multiplicities. It is in this perspective that political studies or political science extend to all areas of a society (economics, law, sociology, et cetera)
-A restricted meaning Politikè refers to the practice of power. That is to say the struggles for power and the representativeness of the people between men and women or different political parties to which they can belong.
Since my Greek years, I no longer hear the restricted meaning of the word "political", it goes beyond its strict meaning which most of the people might think of. This is why I wanted to add above the etymology of the word which is in my opinion very interesting and is not limited to the struggle of the powers between parties. It is also for this reason that I cannot believe the Yellow Vests when they say they are "apolitical", the movement is a political citizen movement since they want society to be reorganized and feel concerned by the life of the city, social and fiscal justice. Nothing is trivial in the words used, the proof is that a citizen in Greek is " Πολίτης " (Politis), a person belonging to the city. We find there the same etymological root as the word "political".
Politic is not limited to political parties who get what they can from the Yellow Vests movement. In this regard, political parties are all pathetic. I fear however the Yellow Vests which call themselves "apolitical" because that would mean that they hope for anarchy and there, I freak out! If I hadn't lived in Greece for 18 years, my perception would probably have been different but today it has a true meaning to me and not a semblance of meaning or a strict meaning as it has been translated, interpreted by intellectuals of the French Academy. I no longer hear words the same way.
To tell you the truth, there are even words that I can no longer use in French because they seem incongruous and without the depth of the real meaning of the original word.
This is why I want to say to certain Yellow Vests: "Stop saying that you are" apolitical "or say that you want" anarchy "" and there again, I am not sure that anarchy either is their final goal ....
The term anarchy has its roots in the Greek " anarkhia ". Composed of the prefix a - privative an - which in Greek means "without", "deprived of" and the word arkhê which in Greek translates as "origin", "principle", "power" or "command". The etymology of the term therefore designates, in a general way: that which is devoid of guiding principle and of origin. This translates into "absence of rule", "absence of chief", "absence of authority" or "absence of government".
In a negative sense, anarchy evokes chaos and disorder . In a positive sense, a system where individuals are freed from all authority . This last meaning appears in 1840 under the pen of the socialist theorist Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865). In "What is property?", The author declares himself anarchist and specifies what he understands by anarchy: a form of government without master or sovereign.
I don't know about you but I don't want anarchy, chaos. A country can not stand up without being structured otherwise it is the door open to all kinds of excesses, violence and the arrival of the army as in some countries and what does the army do when it comes to power? ... it restores order with authoritarianism. Who would like our country to look like a dictatorship ?! Not me .
Yes, the Yellow Vests movement is good in a way because it has awakened citizens' consciences and established a dialogue. A dialogue of the deaf sometimes. But it is good, it shows that the citizens have good proposals because they have a sense of reality and do not live in a cocoon like those who govern us and do not know the ends of difficult months. They do not have a bad back forced to be looking for the cheapest prices that are always found in the lowest shelves of supermarkets, they do not have to buy short dates to eat meat...
However I also found that the Yellow Vests movement speaks little, not to say not at all of the very precarious, who live on solidarity incomes. Once again they are forgotten or singled out by society as if they were abusing the system or indulging themselves in this situation. There is nothing more inaccurate. As the Yellow Vests are not reduced to breakers, the very precarious are not reduced to the few who can actually benefit from the system!
Finally, I do not believe in a peaceful outcome of the ""great debate" established by the "president" who currently reigns over France. He has too much contempt for the little people that we are and little sense of reality. His short sentences are the proof of it. He hears but does not listen to the suffering of his people. He doesn't care, he just wants to shine and make our country a start-up where humans have little interest.
Today, I think he is only waiting for the wear and tear of the movement to demonstrate that he is the leader.
All this makes me sad and frankly saddens me even if this movement will have had the merit of raising awareness and showing the rage of people.
I hope that people will also understand that it is absolutely necessary to go to vote massively because today it is still the only way to express one's voice, even if the candidates are not attractive, there remains the blank vote which, I hope will finally be recognized in the constitution. Because yes the blank vote is a voice cast.
In the meantime, I find it hard to be optimistic. ..
"When the people are more enlightened than the throne, they are very close to a revolution ."
-Esprit de Rivarol (various works), Anecdotes and good words of
Antoine Rivaroli, dit Rivarol-
Wednesday, March 13, while walking, I discovered traces of yellow everywhere, impossible for city officials to clean everything between the usual breakages, the deteriorations that have been going on on Saturdays for four months. I think about this street name decorated in yellow: a country becomes decidedly violent, unmanageable when its government is just as violent but above all incompetent to manage such crisis.
Seen on "rue de la République" on March 21, 2019
Father Adam Street
... when the French see red, it turns yellow ...
Saturday March 16, 2019
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Rouen is also adorned with yellow. From home, the sight of this giant scarf surprises me pleasantly and not to spoil anything, it twirls nicely in the air. The wind is there. I had fun photographing it, I could have filmed but I like to freeze the movements thanks to the photo.
I ask myself questions at the same time because I do not believe in the serendipity of this staging, very successful certainly but certainly not hazardous. Would the priest be a supporter of the yellow vests? would we have a "spider man" around? ...
... because you have to climb to the bell tower and it can not be done without authorization. As there are renovations in the cathedral, it may have been some workers who had this great idea.
A peaceful idea, without nuisance and striking. I applaud the initiative. Well done.
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A Monday of 2019
Rue de la République, the stigmas of a yellow Saturday are still visible. Shops are barricaded, people too. The Saturdays are deprived of walkers to make way for the yellow vests which for months have been pounding the pavement, demanding more social justice in the face of a Liberal government which has contempt for the little people and the deepest respect for the shareholders of the Stock Market.
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Today, April 2020
Stores no longer have to barricade themselves. They are simply closed due to a pandemic. We discover containment and its consequences. But above all, containment revealed a crucial element: the persons who are so poorly considered by the government are essential to society. No, they are not a negligible quantity but essential to society. Usually so little valued by governments, they have been able to demonstrate how essential they are. They show their greatness, their courage and all that for a pittance. I hope, without deluding myself, that the next day, their salary will be raised as it should be, that I will never again hear a mother say to her child at the checkout of a supermarket: "you see if you don't work at school, you'll end up a cashier! ". They have the courage to come to work every day, to support the moods of customers; the truckers have the courage to endure the affronts of people they are going to deliver and yet close the toilets where they should be able to cool off; home helpers who continue to be a link for suffering people and who would find themselves left to their own devices without their dedication; and what about the hospital staff of our country (ranked 26th in the world in salaries!) who are devoted to the cause and risk their health to save us, cry when a person dies despite their care. They are not just caregivers, they are above all human and deserve so much more pecuniary consideration.
Globalization has shown its limits and the government its shortcomings. His lack of judgment. His lack of consideration. His lack of anticipation. Today he recognizes some of his mistakes while still finding excuses. Tomorrow at the time of the assessment, he will have anticipation. .
Tomorrow will never be like yesterday, accounts will have to be given. If certain bosses accepted a cut in wages, I did not hear the president, his ministers, the members of parliament and other enarques speaking about a cut in their own wages however paid by the French citizens ! They spit on us while keeping their benefits. Yes, I am angry. They have not lived up to the pandemic. The common man has been by being united. Not them, our rulers who have only been cowards because they have the necessary protections, masks, tests and the money that goes with it all.
What can we say about Emmanuel Macron, our president, who has never been my cup of tea! He has brought us bad luck since he was elected. His smugness, his "lesson giver" side and his empathetic winks are exasperating, vain and futile. His theatrical side during its interventions is anxiety-provoking and to be reworked. Everyone knows that Brigitte(his wife) was her theater teacher ... it is clear that she did not take the "Cours Florent"(a famous drama school) ! Both dreamed of the Elysée, they did it and it is a disaster .... for us. Emmanuel Macron is certainly not the cause of the pandemic, but he is the vector of its mismanagement. He, the self-proclaimed genius, did not anticipate anything and leaves us to fend for ourselves against the virus.
There will be many deaths on his conscience for lack of anticipation.
I will never forgive them.
I miss two people right now because they wouldn't have let anything go without speaking up: Coluche and Daniel Balavoine. They would have rushed into the stretchers like no one dares to do today. I miss them.