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Violence is never the answer. There are other ways. Even if your situation is bad, violence won't solve it.

Protesting increases in the cost of living and environmental destruction without violence seems like something we can all get behind with the exception of the *rich and diehard right* who have the means to fund whatever message they want to send.

Wanton violence and destruction bring nothing to sell any cause, especially when the root cause for most of the cost of living crisis lies squarely at the door of TRUMP and PUTIN for the TWO WARS they started. The rest is greedy oil companies and market speculators exploiting the oil supply issues.

This has been building for a long time. It started when retirement age kept creeping up, up, up.

😲😢

The point is not to get more people on your side. The point is to realize there are consequences for not listening to the protesters. If literally anyone in the USA were willing to do the same, our protests might not be so ignored.

The kids are pissed and have every right to be. This is the result of years of corporate and billionaire greed. How is it that you think it doesn’t “help the cause?” Ok EVerYoNe JuSt PrOTesT PeAcEFullY!! WTF Chris

Ten years of Macron means ten years of inequality, of handouts to the richest paid by the poorest. It means public services, hospitals, and schools falling into disrepair. It means far-right billionaires taking control of the media. Contempt and poverty for workers, racism and discriminations on ↗️.

Yikes!!

It depends on the cause. It certainly highlighted how France has higher growth in demand for public services than its slowing economy can support. This formerly prosperous and innovated nation is now living off old wealth and in decline.

Ah, which cause are we talking here, that of the demonstrators, or that of the 'casseurs' (the wreckers) ?

I’m convinced this was fueled by right wing agitators to harm Macron who has been a leader of the European Union. I sound like a conspiracy enthusiast, but we know Republican PACs have funded far left Democratic candidates here in primaries in hopes of disrupting general elections.

Gone too far. Too much destruction

Thought it looked familiar Last Nov

Porte Saint Denis**

Europe has suffered a great deal more from Trump's actions than the US My French family tells me that there are many bare shelves in grocery stores. But no, the only cause it helps is the cause of Le Pen.

This will be us if midterms don’t go well. And by “go well” I mean the entire Republican Party gets (figuratively) curb stomped.

Were the Yellow Vests involved? From 2019 -- www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...

I really believe that Russia sent agent provocateurs to cause this damage. Russia is already at war with the EU and a large protest is easy to take advantage of in such a way and escalate into violence and destruction.

It’s also this: www.instagram.com/reel/DepLLdn...

I don't know, I'd have to be thinking in their culture, not mine. But I can pretty much guarantee Americans doing "shocked inhale" about it on the eve of their polite quarterly one-day protest won't have any effect.

I think the cost of living is going to be an ongoing issue globally. Climate change is unpredictable and causes such damage. It will drive up the cost of living. Governments will find it difficult to cope.

💯

Yes. I remember before Bill Maher became entirely awful, he showed a video of those black clad backpack wearing teams, on Real Time. I don't remember the date. I hope it a video of that is still on youtube or somewhere on the Internet. Far too much of history gets memory holed now.

There is huge inequality in paris. Those are Highly insured shops for wealthy people who created the poverty the protest was about. This is how France works.

As with 2020

Thanks…

I don’t know if it helped the cause, that remains to be seen, but you can’t deny that the French know how to protest. They are all in. Vive Le Manifestation! 🇫🇷

No it did not help the cause. Violence NEVER helps the cause. All sympathy for the cause evaporates the second violence hits the streets. And it gives fuel to authoritarians who are just itching to deploy a jack-booted police state all across the country. Don't even THINK of trying this, America.

It may end up shifting their government more right.

I am all the more grateful that Indivisible and other organizers of the No Kings movement have stressed the need to be peaceful. They really hammer that point home in all their communications and it is a big part of the success of the demonstrations. Things can go bad fast.

Right wing agitators:

Getting rid of France, German, UK, Spainish leadership, with a flip to the right would be the final blow to Ukraine, and the free world. America can't be counted on, and Musk is pulling all the strings to make this all happen.

Putin and Trump want Macron out NOW, they are desperate otherwise I would agree Andy

Ukrainians aren't weaklings like the others. So let's not invest too much effort into the false analysis. French youth and underclass have been abused for many decades. It is their right to revolt against the political and business elite that betrays them. So, support them.

There is no power which can out him. It doesn’t matter what Putin and Trump want.

You bet… many parts of Europe are just as deep in the rabbit hole as we are… Rwngers are EVERYWHERE snd they learn from each other, no doubt imo!! 😡🤮

France is such a beautiful place. I’m sorry to see this happening. I hope they resolve this soon before they destroy it all. 😞

Do they really think their lives will magically get better under the criminal Le Pen

More people didn't vote because they believed those same right-wing agitators that "Harris will be worse for Gaza! owo" and "Biden endorses genocide!!!" Americans are fucking morons.

If it happened in the USA they'd all been shot

The French acting like they’ve got Donald Trump as their president.

Many liberals are afraid of real revolutions because they are not pretty. Cubans prior to the Cuban Revolution understood why their revolution occurred. Mass poverty pushes society to unrest and social unrest. It happens in countries in massive crises in history.

You keep repeating this like it means something.

France is trying to do what the U.S. has been doing and starve the public sector. Unlike in the U.S. the French people said no.

Russian, Far-Right influence... riots breaking past all nation-state borders will up next

Wow - looks like something broke camel’s back in the last few days… the education disparity didn’t happen overnight, right?

That’s heartbreaking. Doesn’t show a desire for change but for destruction. Use your voices not your viscous anger.

It didn't. They blew it.

Not taxing the rich

Depends on who one wants to help?

We are going to have the same problems that France is having because our educational system is being destroyed

Absolutely deplorable!

Interesting that the “tax the rich” graffiti was in English. Also interesting that the “far-left” is being blamed while Marine Le Pen’s far-right party is on the ascendancy.

Russia has agents mixed in with the crowd to spark violence. It is part of their hybrid warfare. There were legitimate reasons to protest, but those starting and perpetuating violence were foreign agents bent on destabilizing France for its opposition to Russia.

This will be the USA soon if the corporations are allowed to continue exploiting the people

"How the hell did it get this bad?".....maybe because people are tired of no one listening to them...no one seeing them. "Do I think it helped the cause?". No. Unless things change in the direction the citizens want there will never be satisfaction and those responsible will just get angrier.

Let Them Eat Cake moment

Putin - he’s supporting this mess in Europe.

Crazy destroying their own communities For what ?

The powers that be have removed hope for people. This is what’s left.

Horrible to see this happening in France. 🙁

As I watch the video I see stores very few can afford. Maybe wealth disparity is coming to roost? I refuse to blame the students. Blame those in charge. Blame the disgusting rich. Blame out of control Pride and Greed.

Terrible..

Dumbass. You guys elected trump TWICE. So sit down and shut the fuck up.

Quelle honte! Rien de ce qu’ils manifestaient ne justifie ce comportement fou, destructeur et criminel.

Always the same story really: peaceful manifestation… violent idiot who look for an excuse the wreck things… police violently respond on the wrong set of people… And of course politicians who either try to jump on a crisis to make it worse… and other who push hard core repression on the hopeless.

People are ANGRY

See?

This is the latest example of the phenomenon, but @troyjackson207.bsky.social was having none of it. bsky.app/profile/atru...

Americans don’t know what it takes to stand up for rights As we cling to the last threads of democracy and watch unmarked masked men abduct people in our towns, you ask “do you think it helps”? Wake the fuck up, America

Iran war? The whole world is stressed about high costs and Trump’s war is pushing everyone to the brink.

I'm so sick of people talking about how awesome the French are for rioting. This will just help to fuel the far right movement by making the left look like savages. Le Pen is probably loving this.

No.

It got this bad because for years the one generations in France have insisted that the next generation pays for the current generation's debt. That gets to a critical point nie Also not tagging the ultra-rich properly but that's a worldwide problem

Not a centrist questioning the value of a riot to move politics in the right direction? Oh no, the destruction of property, oh the horror!

Makes you wonder if the "Tommy's" out there may have played a part in the destruction.

Extremely dangerous --extremely-- as Mark Chadbourn posted this morning "France is paralysed and ripe for foreign interference."

"A riot is the language of the unheard" MLK

Of course it helped. I wasn't paying attention until they got my attention.

Interesting the shaming the French are receiving here while Albanians are cheered on. Wonder what that's about?

italy too

they are not like us, we fear our politicians, they politicians are taught to fear a betrayed public. We are submissive, a beggars disposition, they are in command of policies they insist on.....or else. We bow down, they fight for healthcare, education, pension. not hard, look in your mirror.

😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪

Protests are good; looting and vandalism are bad. They turn people away from your cause. Dr. King understood this. With that said, France has a long history of protests joined by radical elements and anarchist groups that have spilled over into clashes with police, property damage, and looting.

Heather Cox Richardson reminds us frequently that violence doesn’t work.

They were not asking permission, they were seizing the initiative. Just like the businesses that keep them in poverty are also seizing the initiative without permission. It's not the poor people starting wars, hoarding assets and wrecking the planet. Their anger is justified and is not going away

Idem in Lyon, Paris etc. They were too busy harassing the peaceful protesters. bsky.app/profile/brev...

I am not taking side, I still try to ponder the gravity of the claim, and the element I can read/consult that goes in this direction - it could be mispreparation, it could be cynical political decisions, in between, other But in Paris also there are claims from shop owners that they were left alone

The same wealth inequality we have in the USA, is also what the rest of the world has to deal with too. At least in France, the ruling class were given fitting treatment nearly 250 years ago. They need a reminder every once in a while. They can still keep their heads.

Even if the reasons for the protest were legitimate, all this vandalism will only ensure the victory of the FN in the upcoming elections - and the additional violence after. Putin will be happy.

Not at all suggesting the same. Because I live across the world from Paris. But during the BLM riots in the US, Russian bots fabricated stories online which in turn made the protestors more angry and destructive. I would guess, it’s a combo of many things & it turned into a free for all.

It is terrible that it has to come to this but this seems the only thing that gets attention. People's hunger is never spoken of like it doesn't exist.

Russia.

It helped a cause. Probably LePen's.

Nope. 😒

Profound sadness, I was in that area of Paris in July. As parents tell their children- use your words....

They closed the Louvre!!!

Gee, I sure hope so... 💔

Cityzens who believe everything is free.Borrow,borrow,borrow.Ooops! Does it ring a bell White House Donnie?

I think this is a tinder box built by the far right (a global entity, intent on bringing one 1 global power) and they’ve a pocket full of matches to burn it all down

Well it's according to what and whose stuff you're burning down. If they are just targeting the oligarchs stuff then sure. But it doesn't look like that huh. If any of the targets weren't rich people's stuff it helps people hate others, and it may end up misdirected. Helping the far right.

The ruling class can dismantle education as much as they want. People are not stupid. Once their economic situation gets worse and worse, they know that their main enemies are billionaires and corporations that keep raping their country.