Category Archives: Paris

The Guardian view on the Notre Dame fire: we share France’s terrible loss

Posted on by

One of the great symbols of France has suffered terrible fire damage. The whole of Europe is scarred too

It feels as though the very heart of France and the soul of Europe have been suddenly and viciously ripped out. The fire that coursed through large sections of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday evening was an act of blind and terrible destruction that causes a great stab of emotional pain to us all.

In a frighteningly short time, it gutted and humbled one of the great buildings of Paris, in an act of annihilation of one of the emblematic places of Europe that had survived the brutality of the French revolution and the world wars of the 20th century.

Continue reading...

Branded a no-go zone: a trip inside the 93, France’s most notorious banlieue

Posted on by

It is seen as a lawless breeding ground for hooliganism and drug trafficking. But a photographer called Mister Happiness is on a mission to tell the real story about the demonised area

‘She put her pen down,” says Monsieur Bonheur, “and told me to stop dreaming.” The French photographer is recalling the day he told the careers advisor at his school that he wanted to study fashion design. “She said, ‘Your parents won’t have the money to pay for those schools. They won’t be able to pull strings. You should consider something more appropriate for a black kid from the 93, like fixing central heating systems.’”

There is still disbelief in Bonheur’s voice as he recounts this decade-old conversation. “She was reminding me of the codes,” he says, “advising me to play by the rules.”

Continue reading...

Louvre’s massive paper artwork torn to shreds by visitors – video

Posted on by

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Louvre museum's famous glass pyramid, French artist JR (real name Jean Rene) created a 17,000 sq metre optical illusion around the building. Whilst the effect isn't visible from the ground, at an elevated angle the pyramid appears to extend deep into a quarry of white rock. It took JR and his team of 400 volunteers five days to create the artwork, using a total of 2,000-odd pieces of paper. However, it quickly began to disintegrate once visitors arrived, and some Parisians took to social media to complain about the paper debris spreading around the city's landmarks.

Continue reading...

Greek tragedy prompts ‘blackface’ racism row at Sorbonne

Posted on by

Protesters picket French university, which says actors were wearing masks according to ancient theatre practices

A row over alleged racism and attacks on freedom of expression has erupted in France after students prevented a Greek tragedy featuring actors using black masks from being performed at the Sorbonne, claiming it was “Afrophobic, colonialist and racist”.

Demonstrators who picketed the prestigious Paris university to stop actors entering the theatre said the play, The Suppliants by Aeschylus, was being performed with blackface and was offensive.

Continue reading...

When protesters burned news kiosks in Paris, I had to take a stand…

Posted on by

The militant wing of the French protests picked on a beloved institution. So I set up a crowdfunder to help

In 47 years of journalism, few things have shocked me as deeply as the sight of burning newspaper kiosks on the Champs-Élysées.

Journalists are supposed to be neutral observers – impassioned but dispassionate. Forget all that. This was personal. This was an attack on the print newspapers that had been my life’s blood from the day I joined the Bolton Evening News in 1972 until the Independent stopped printing in 2016. This was an attack on something endearingly Parisian, something as instantly recognisable as the Eiffel Tower or the burned-rubber smell of the Métro.

Continue reading...

France drafts in troops to prevent further gilets jaunes violence

Posted on by

Soldiers deployed in show of force in Paris and in Nice, which is hosting a state visit

France has drafted in extra security forces including army troops to try to prevent any repeat of violence during gilets jaunes protests in Paris or other cities this weekend.

Police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed in a show of force in the capital and in the southern city of Nice, where the president, Emmanuel Macron, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, for a state visit on Sunday.

Continue reading...

French PM removes police chief and vows to shut down rioters

Posted on by

Gilets jaunes protests in Paris and other cities will be banned if ‘radical groups’ are spotted

The French government has removed the Paris police chief and announced it will shut down all anti-government street protests by the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) in central parts of Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse if violent groups are spotted in the crowds.

The prime minister, Édouard Philippe, announced the hardline measures on Monday after the government admitted failures in dealing with rioting and arson in Paris this weekend.

Continue reading...

French government unprepared for gilets jaunes riots, critics say

Posted on by

Opposition claims security was lacking as protesters ransacked Champs Élysées in Paris

The French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, has held talks with ministers after opposition politicians accused the government of being unprepared for rioting during gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests on the Champs Élysées in Paris.

The president, Emmanuel Macron promised to come up with strong measures to prevent further violence after rioters threw paving stones at police and restaurants, luxury stores, news kiosks and cars were torched, ransacked and looted.

Continue reading...

France’s gilets jaunes target luxury shops and restaurant in protests

Posted on by
Masked demonstrators clash with police in central Paris as they smash Le Fouquet, a restaurant favoured by politicians

An 18th weekend of gilets jaunes protests erupted once more into violence and looting on Saturday as masked demonstrators smashed their way into luxury stores on the Champs-Élysées and destroyed one of the street’s most celebrated restaurants.

Demonstrators fought running battles with police who responded with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Continue reading...

Manchester United fan stabbed in Paris after PSG defeat

Posted on by

Man, 44, reportedly undergoes emergency operation after attack with ‘large blade’

A Manchester United fan is being treated in hospital in France for a stabbing injury shortly after the English side knocked Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

The Foreign Office said it was in touch with the French authorities over the incident, with reports suggesting the man is undergoing emergency surgery.

Continue reading...

Thousands take to streets of France after antisemitic attacks

Posted on by

Surge in ‘poisonous’ acts includes Jewish cemetery desecrated with swastikas

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities across France to protest against a recent rise in antisemitic attacks.

The prime minister, Édouard Philippe, was expected to attend the march in the capital along with ministers and lawmakers, while the president, Emmanuel Macron, will hold a moment’s silence at the city’s Holocaust memorial.

Continue reading...

Macron condemns antisemitic abuse during gilets jaunes Paris protest

Posted on by

Police protect philosopher Alain Finkielkraut after he is targeted during 14th weekend of protests

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has condemned antisemitic abuse of a leading intellectual by gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protestors and said it would not be tolerated.

Police intervened to protect philosopher and writer Alain Finkielkraut after he was targeted by a group of protestors on the fringe of a demonstration in central Paris on Saturday, according to videos posted on social networks.

Continue reading...

More violence in Paris as gilet jaunes protests enter 13th weekend

Posted on by

Scuffles break out as protesters march on National Assembly and Senate in Paris

Thousands of French gilets jaunes (yellow vests) demonstrators marched on Saturdayin what was their 13th weekend of action. There were scuffles in Paris and a demonstrator’s hand was mangled by a small explosive.

There was also an overnight arson attack on the Brittany residence of the National Assembly head, Richard Ferrand, though no immediate link was made to the actions against President Emmanuel Macron.

Continue reading...

Paris fire: woman detained as eight die in apartment building

Posted on by

Police treating blaze in French capital’s 16th district as possible arson attack

Police have arrested a woman suspected of starting a fire that swept through an eight-storey apartment building in Paris, killing at least eight people and injuring 30 others, including six firefighters.

The woman, who lived in the building, was taken into custody as flames swept rapidly through the block in the French capital’s 16th arrondissement, not far from the Parc des Princes stadium, home to the Paris Saint-Germain club.

Continue reading...

Thieves drive off with Banksy mural on Bataclan fire door

Posted on by

Artwork thought to be homage to the 90 people who died in an Islamist attack on Paris venue

A mural by British street artist Banksy on a fire-exit door at Paris’ Bataclan theatre, where Islamist militants killed 90 people three years ago, has been stolen, the venue has said.

The work, one of a series of murals painted last June in the French capital and attributed to Banksy, showed a veiled female figure in a mournful pose.

Continue reading...

Police use water cannon and teargas on Paris protesters

Posted on by

Marches across France take place on the ninth weekend of gilets jaunes demonstrations

Gilets jaunes protesters engaged in a ninth weekend of protests all over France on Saturday as the president, Emmanuel Macron, prepared to stake his political future on an open letter to the French people and a national debate.

Officials said that at least 84,000 demonstrators turned out across France, thousands more than last weekend, with about 8,000 of those in Paris where protests passed “without serious incident”. Gilets jaunes – named after the hi-vis yellow vests French motorists must carry in their vehicles – said the number was higher but did not give a figure.

Continue reading...

Ninth weekend of gilets jaunes protests sees police use water cannon in Paris – video

Posted on by

Police in Paris fired water cannon and teargas at gilet jaunes (yellow vest) protesters on the ninth consecutive weekend of demonstrations. The protests began as a protest against a new eco-tax on petrol and diesel, but has grown to encompass a wide range of demands including giving people a greater say in policy via citizens’ referenda.


Continue reading...