Trouble in Paradise

Another vista to finish the week or start the week depending on where you're standing....For me Sunday is definitely the end of the week. I wanted to take a long walk round the port and the Cap towards Villefranche, east of Nice but I couldn't find a parking place at all, not one, not even a car park so I double parked, took a couple of photos and went straight home; it was very unsatisfactory particularly as it was such a glorious day and perfect for a good walk.

I had intended coming into Nice yesterday to browse the sales a little and am glad I didn't. I read this account on our local forum of a mini riot that broke out in the city centre yesterday during a demonstration against the bombing of Palestine..
......."Later in the afternoon I was coming back home through Place Massena to be faced by a multitude of police vans and riot police with guns, helmets and riot shields. Apart from a lot of 'youth' hanging around, I could not really fathom out what the problem was. Shoppers were passing through to the sales. No cordon was put up and the police were chatting with the public. As I live just behind Nice Etoile, I passed on up Jean Medecin as normal although there were more vans and police ahead at Nice Etoile. All of a sudden there was a surge of 'youth' charging down Jean Medecin into the path of the shoppers. We all turned tail and ran into doorways and corners to escape the stampede. Very frightening and the children were all screaming and crying. Next thing is the Police threw tear gas (my first experience of this nasty stuff). That I think is the bangs you heard. People were running in all directions, there was pandemonium. I ran for home but had to go through it all with my eyes and nose streaming. Safely indoors the scene converged into our street, Boulevard Dubouchage, and tear gas bombs were thrown into our gardens (not sure if by police or protesters). Being on the ground floor we had to watch (with windows tight shut) through a haze of smoke as riot police chased through running shoppers in pursuance of the trouble makers. It was pretty scary because we thought we might get a fire bomb through our windows. After that about 20 police vans lined up outside across the street and the rioting continued with a lot more bangs (I hope not guns) shouting, tear gas and people running down our street. I cannot say what was going on exactly because I did not dare venture into the gardens to find out out...let alone the fact you you couldn't breathe. "

And here's a link to the article in Nice Matin, our local newspaper.

http://www.nice.maville.com/actu/actudet_--La-manif-pour-la-paix-a-Gaza-vire-a-la-bataille-au-coeur-de-Nice-_dep-794197_actu.Htm