The town hall burns

 Bordeaux has hit the international news following the march against the raising of retirement age from 62 to 64. 

Usually marches are pretty peaceful in Bordeaux. Well, noisy, but non-violent. 

However there are anarchist or extremist groups who tag on to marches with the aim of causing as much chaos and damage as possible.

So yesterday during the day a group of youths wanted to set fire to some plastic bins, but other marchers persuaded them not to do it.

When darkness falls, however, and most of the marchers go home, the violent groups take over. So it was that bins were burnt on the tramlines. Very few Bordeaux people would want or tolerate vandalism to the tramlines. No tramlines, no tram, no work. And then they set fire to the huge, blue, wooden gates to the town hall.

Yeah, great. Who pays for that, folk?

More importantly we never feel in any danger. We sometimes have to cross marches, and that takes foresight, planning and earplugs, but people are OK with letting you pass.

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