"Make French Revolution Great Again." The slogan, which calls for a revival of the French Revolution in the style of MAGA (Make America Great Again), echoed through the streets of Marseille yesterday, where 17,000 people gathered. Residents were visibly angered by the rising cost of living, the decline of public services, education reform, and the policies of Emmanuel Macron. During the second day of protests, calls for "rebellion" and for people to "embrace chaos" were common among demonstrators. Yet in France's second-largest city, a divide has emerged between those who encourage insurrection and those who, while sharing the same frustrations, reject such tactics. To understand the movement, one must listen to the people behind it.
MIRA AND DORY, STUDENTS
"I think it's normal for people to lose their temper, smash things, and even steal. They do it because they're tired of protesting and having no one listen to us."
The sense of exhaustion described yesterday by Dory, a university student and teaching intern, helps explain the roots of what some see as a new attempt at a French revolution. Sitting beside her friend Mira, the mother of an eight-month-old baby, she held signs criticizing both the president and the police.
"We weren't going to come because we were scared, and that's exactly why we're here," Mira said ahead of a day of demonstrations that would later end in heavy police crackdowns.
Before anything even happens, they denounce the police, claiming they "have no limits."
"Using last weekend's violence as an excuse, they're not going to let us raise our voices about what's wrong in France: there are more homeless people than ever, public education has been abandoned, wages are stagnant, and inflation keeps rising," Mira says. In her view, with the increased police presence in the city, Macron has implemented "a politics of fear to prevent us from challenging him."
CORENTINE, POLICE OFFICER
From the front lines of the police response, the situation looks very different. That is how Corentine, a 28-year-old National Police officer, described it, saying he felt reassured by the arrival of additional officers.
"Any police reinforcement in Marseille is welcome. Last week was an assault: they were throwing cobblestones and rocks at us with real anger. I had 20 officers under my command, and while we were trying to pull back, I was hit in the shin and it hurt for quite a while. Everything was out of control," he recalled.
Yesterday, however, was different. Although demonstrators once again attacked law enforcement with metal bars, cobblestones, and bottles, officers were able to respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, and riot charges, turning the clashes into an evenly matched street battle between the two sides.
STEVEN, RESTAURATEUR
At 19, Steven founded the restaurant Spok, which serves sandwiches, burgers, and traditional French dishes. On Friday, his experience as a business owner led him to close the restaurant for the entire weekend because of the protests, despite the financial losses it would mean for his business.
"Business owners have fortified our shops, but we feel abandoned. It's not normal for violence to be directed at local businesses," he lamented.
More than 500 establishments in Marseille were affected by last week's wave of unrest, and their owners have learned their lesson ahead of this weekend.
"Shop owners suffer from the same problems these protesters are demonstrating against, and on top of that they destroy the businesses we've worked so hard to build. We're paying a double price, and it isn't fair."
CARINE AND JEAN-PAUL, TOURISTS
They arrived in Marseille yesterday from Bergamo, Italy, where they had avoided, "at all costs," the protests that have also swept across their own country. The couple had not expected to encounter a large-scale demonstration in the coastal city.
"I'm quite dismayed," said Carine. "We have plenty of reasons to protest, but when violence becomes part of legitimate demonstrations, the whole point is lost."
"We'll spend the afternoon quietly, away from the protests, to avoid any danger," she added.
MATHIS AND THOMAS, ACTIVISTS
Fear of a police crackdown was widespread, even among protesters who were deeply troubled by the looting that had taken place across the city.
Mathis and Thomas directed their criticism at the Élysée Palace, accusing the government of "treating the French people like idiots." While they do not support the wave of violence, they say they understand where it comes from.
"All democratic avenues for protest have been used, and they still won't listen," they said. "Violence becomes inevitable because otherwise, how will they hear us?"