Pigalle (where the Moulin Rouge is) is the grossest place ever:
They do have some clever names for their stores though:
Gabby told me I had to visit the sex museum but the few exhibits at the entrance made me nauseauted so I chose to save my money.
Is the first lesson "how to print text in the correct direction"?
Speaking of professors, I think I'll use this picture when I teach about illusory perception:
As usual, I had to continue my incredibly stupid joke:
Then I wandered aimlessly for a while and landed in the middle of a fascist demonstration against (legalized this week in Paris) gay marriage!
I'd been warned this was happening today, but didn't intend to go there.
They had police escorts but also guys w/orange X's taped around their
chests, who I'm assuming were paid private security, like the Hell's
Angels at
Altamont.
The guys on that float led the crowd in chanting French and Catholic pride slogans. I walked around the crowd and took this from a safe distance
I walked closer, laughing at the absurdity of it all, then a woman tried to hand me a flyer with all of the chants on it. I told her "I love you a lot" (in French) and walked off.
Right there, in the same park, was this incredible monument to freedom from slavery
The irony was not lost on me, though I imagine it was to the protestors.
The chants were basically (unintentional) ripoffs of
"Fuk Shit Up" by Blatz w/the words replaced by things like "Keep Paris Catholic" and "Marriage is Sacred."
I heard people applaud when the parade marched past, because there was a donkey with a sign saying "I'm an ass b/c I voted for (France's current liberal leader)." Guilhem later told me this is how they get party support, then they sneak in backwards hateful ideas like "Other peoples' consenual marriages are somehow our business."
I walked all over, searching for signs of counter-protests. I'd overhear several people tell their children things like "Don't go there, those are fascists" but couldn't find anyone actively demonstrating against them.
I was a lot more upset by them than I expected (I never do activist stuff, normally) and wished I had some way of righting this wrong. Even though protests don't accomplish much, they do give people a chance to get their frustration out. The lack of a protest that I agreed with made me feel powerless yet energized.
After a lot of reflection on what to do, I took this picture:
I don't know who that guy in the brown hat standing on the ground on the other side of the truck (he led the chants) is but I overheard someone say he is a baron. WTF kinda backward country still has barons? Paris, you're pretty cool, but the US is way ahead of you socio-politically.
Unsurprisingly, giving them the finger (without their noticing) didn't make me feel much better, so I waited for a silent pause (in between mindless chants) and yelled "Aimez votre frere!" right here:
I'd thought out my grammar in advance, but couldn't remember the French word for "neighbor" so had to tell them to love their brother. Everyone on the float turned and stared at me for a second. No one had yelled anything at them all day. They waited to see if I was going to create a conflict. I waited for them to do the same. Then one of them nodded at me and they continued on their path of static closed-mindedness.
I was proud to have followed Gandhi's example of non-violence. I'm not comparing myself to him in terms of impact or quality or anything, just that he also knew that negativity isn't the solution to anything. No one can argue with telling someone to love their brother. In hindsight, I wish I'd also yelled "Ne detestez-pas personne!"
The excitement of my first-ever activist move helped the stress their hatred had created in my stomach dissipate a little.
After I yelled, I walked off, past a photographer who I heard use the word "fascistes." I asked him if there was a counter-protest somewhere. He said no, very confused by my question. I guess they don't have those in Paris.
I asked him what would happen if I yelled at them and he said the fascists would probably beat me up. I asked if the police would help protect me and he said they were there to protect the parade, not me.
I intentionally avoid horrible things like this, normally, but when I see it it makes me want to do something to help. I don't know if there's anything else I could've done, honestly.
I'm too rattled to do anything important now, I'm gonna go do laundry and see if Guilhem's bought ant poison yet. Aimez votre frere.
Then I saw Guilhem had hung up my clothes for me! Such a nice guy. He played one of his records for me, I told him it was incredibly sexy (it really is).
