Mass Protests in Paris

Paris: For weeks now, the world has seen smoke rise from Paris’ most famous Boulevard: the Champs Elyse. On Saturday, 89,000 troops were patrolling the streets of the French capital as the shop managers scurried to board up the display windows of the ultra-luxurious boutiques, to protect them from raiders and vandals. Many famous landmarks were closed for the weekend as well. These buildings include the Eiffel Tower, the Arch de Triumphe, the Louvre, the Orsay museum, and the Grand Palais among many others. Paris is at a standstill.

The yellow vests movement has taken its toll on the city’s travel and tourism industry. The once isolated protest against the hike in diesel prices is now accompanied by anarchists and agitator organisations that loot and plunder the boutiques and outlets around the Champs Elyse area. Last week French President Macron withdrew his initial order of increasing the diesel prices, but it seems that he is now too late. The movement has become violent already, and arrests are being made to curb the growing problem.

Amidst this commotion, tourism to Paris has completely shut down. The authorities have already issued multiple statements of apologies to tourists and are in the process of refunding the eTickets bought by foreigners wanting to visit the many landmarks of the city. The French culture minister Franck Riester informed that many tourist attractions of Paris would be closed for maintenance, as many buildings including the Arch de Triumphe were vandalised.

The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo was remorseful and said,

“It’s with immense sadness that we’ll see our city partially brought to a halt, but your safety is our priority.”

Tourists and travellers have been advised by the French authorities to remain indoors during the weekends until the situation settles down and the air around Paris is once again, smoke-free.