The Olympic torch relay met heavy protest in London, and knowing Paris' love of protests, figured it would be no different here. Nor did the police, sending out 3,000 coppers on horse, foot, motorbike, boat, helecopter and roller blade! They also had their riot squad in full form (a luxury I enjoyed a few days earlier at a student protest).
I started my protest day at Place de Varsovie across from the Eiffel Tower and photographed the pro-chinese supporters and anti-chinese demonstrators. The anti-chinese chanting "Shame shame China shame", "Free Tibet", "Stop the blood, Stop China" whilst the pro-chinese supporters chanted "One China" back whilst singing and dancing. Occasionally people would manage to cross to the other side and try to rip down flags or incite violence between the two camps. It was difficult at times to take photographs amid such emotional sufferance. At times I noticed my eyepiece fogging as I stared into the eyes of passionate, screaming protesters through my lens.
A man was kicked to the ground and the media circus, myself included, rushed to see what had happened. There was a man lying on the ground. A police man standing over him actually kicked the lens of a reporter shooting a little too close. He commanded a very large coper to keep people at bay and he started winging his baton to prevent people getting closer, ultimately resorting to mace which copped yours truly square in the face.
As the torch passed it was time to get on the jogging shoes as a bunch of young photographers and I dashed to keep up with it. We ran from the Eiffel Tower, down to the Arch de'Triumph and along the Chams Elysees before the coppers realized we weren't real journalists and just kids with big cameras. A swift grab and lift and I found myself with all of the protesters. We tried to catch them at the Town Hall where the Mayer had a banner placed reading "Paris defends human rights around the world". Unfortunately (or fortunately) the relay was cut short and never stopped at the town hall.
Reporters Without Borders dropped massive banners in several locations: the Eiffel Tower, Avenue Marceau, the Champs-Elysées, the Pont des Arts, the Quai Malaquais, the facade of the cathedral of Notre Dame and near the Charléty Stadium displaying the campaign motif of the Olympic rings turned into five connected handcuffs. The flame was extinguished at least five times on it's trip that was cut short due to the protesters.
I was treated on a trip to another place of large protests and violence, but unlike the relay, a place of exceptional beauty, the UNESCO world heritage Château de Versailles. The absolutely phenomenal place is incomprehensible. It's size, grandeur, experience, history and american tourists all blow your mind. I saw the largest painted celling of my life, and pondered why people don't paint the celling of their places these days. I kinda like the idea of waking up to gods in chariots, naked nymphs and cherubs in the clouds smiling at me from my celling.
I saw the hall of mirrors, which I must admit, wasn't as much fun as the ones that make you look like a midget at Luna Park. It was here in 1871 that the German Empire was created and later in the same room in 1919 after Germany's downfall the Treatie of Versailles was signed. I strolled through the gardens to the holiday house. Now, who has a holiday house on ones own estate. I usually tend to think of holiday houses... somewhere that's not on your own estate!! A short walk further saw us at Hameau de la reine, a village in miniature recreated for Marie-Antoinette.
Versailles came at a huge cost to the French people and ultimately bleed the country dry and when you walk around the building and the estate it makes you realize why the Revolution happened.
*Oh and congratulations to me for getting "Pic of the Day" yesterday on this website for my photo of Note Dame at night. Check it out on the front page at www.traveljournals.net
*Sign the Reporters without Borders petition - www.rsf.org
*Write a message to Kevin Rudd directly, asking him to Boycott the Opening Ceremony - www.pm.gov.au
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