The election of Emmanuel Macron to the French presidency over his divisive rival brought relief to many after a period of bitter clashes in the streets of Paris between police and protesters, Parsons Paris students recalled.
“It reminded me a lot of when Trump got elected and how Union Square became a hub for protests. We saw a lot of younger faces getting involved which was great to see just like in New York,” said Kait Lippe, a mobility student at Parsons Paris.
Both candidates are controversial. Le Pen is the leader of France’s National Front, a far-right political party, and Macron is a centrist.
Clashes between demonstrators and police have resulted in cases of protesters being tear-gassed. Lippe saw French police using tear gas against protesters who were climbing on a monument she was standing near.
“Police did end up throwing tear gas at the crowds, but I have a good feeling it was due to a group of men climbing atop the monument there,” she said.
Bella Vasile, a student of art, media and technology, also witnessed the tense political atmosphere.
“The night of the election after Marine Le Pen was said to be an official nominee for the race, people were obviously very upset. So people were marching to Republique among other places to come together to [what I think] potentially start a riot,” she said.
The Place de la République is a square in Paris that Vasile described as often being associated with liberal ideas and French protest.
“Once the police saw people on the monument we all got tear gassed and basically that ended that. However there were more things going on in other places of Paris, so it was crazy. The next day I was walking down a pretty main street and there were broken windows and [broken] ATMs everywhere. It was pretty heartbreaking to see,” Vasile said.
“It’s interesting to have the opportunity to see what happened in New York and not in Paris and have the ability to compare and contrast the events,” Lippe said.
In New York, the protests were larger. But in Paris, she noticed more vandalism and property damage like broken windows.
“I’m seeing a lot of negative responses in Paris where in New York I think while there was clear sadness and fear, people still tried to find some hope and love in the situations. Granted, like I said previously, this is just the beginning and people’s [level of] responsiveness change as time goes on especially in such intense emotional situations.” Lippe said.
Parsons Paris Dean Florence Leclerc-Dickler reminded students to take extra caution around protests for the upcoming second round of the elections in a town hall last week, she said.
“As France prepares for the second round of the elections this coming Sunday, we encourage students to be aware of their surroundings, and to exercise caution when necessary,” Leclerc-Dickler said.
“We held a Town Hall last week that addressed the first round of the presidential elections in France. The majority of our students have been too busy with final projects to engage with the protests, but we always encourage our students to exercise their civil liberties in a responsible manner,” she added.
Photo courtesy of Bella Vasile.