Paris has always had something of a complex relationship with her young academics and students. And today, some of them were out on the streets in support of an issue that ostensibly is the concern of more mature Frenchies - namely the recently passed legislation to increase the minimal retirement age from 60 to 62 and the state pension age from 65 to 67. At the least, maintaing current retirement and pension ages pensions would come at the expense of younger French. In a fast aging continent, the burden on young French of a growing class of pensioners is likely to impose the heaviest weight on them.
But then again, protesting against increasing pension and retirement ages perhaps maintains a part of french identity and keeps alive the long held tradition of antagonistic, disgruntled Parisian students - perhaps its the symbolism that counts here.
Some random, amateur footage:
