Zed wrote:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/boris-johnson-moved-to-intensive-care-after-his-condition-worsens

Fingers crossed for him. It's clearly a lot worse than they have been letting on.

RFT wrote:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-52243895

PC is only 21 years old.

Modern Britain: Crim bites a PC and punches two others. Will be arrested, charged, bailed. Will go to Magistrates court and, more likely than not, be fined and get community service.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if that happened to a Gendarme, he’d have been given an on-the-spot leathering. I know it’s not ‘fashionable’ in certain quarters that Police can defend themselves and occasionally dish out some summary justice, but sometimes it’s just the right thing, at the right moment. I’m not talking abuse of power, or OTT violence as seen in the UK (and many countries) in the 70s, but the reason there is now so much anti social behaviour in the UK is that f***wits like this can do what they want and KNOW they can get away with it. Try it anywhere across Europe (and remember, France, Spain, Italy etc are countries that are just as civilised as the UK) and expect a leathering. So, (and I know this isn’t science, and I know it’s more complicated, and I know it happens anyway etc etc etc), the levels of such ASB are far, far less frequent.

The biggest reason I will not permanently return to the UK, is ASB (and crowding), because in 13 years in France, I have never seen it, not once. Living previously in SW London (and fairly expensive and well-to-do part of the UK/World) and it was almost a weekly occurrence, albeit at the lower end of the spectrum with general boorishness, road rage, anger to people, shop and bar staff, etc etc. Still unacceptable.

Ho hum.
 Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Blimey Grenadier, there are an awful lot of caveats in that post. For the sake of balance, there were quite a few of us here in Blighty that were astounded by the levels of violence in France, for weeks on end, about pension changes. It seemed to centre on Paris though, so perhaps it was just a big city thing. Much as the stuff you've mentioned about the UK is.

LRA, large, anti-government demonstrations is part of French culture and has been as far back as the French Revolution (indeed, hence the French Revolution). But, as with most demonstrations of this type, the violence is limited to a vocal/violent minority, who often don’t have any real belief in the cause, just want to use it as an excuse for a fight. Could equally be a football match. Safety in numbers. But they are the minority, and in fact there was very little (albeit still evident) violence associated with the Yellow Vest demos nationwide. In Paris they were hijacked by AntiFascists and Right Wingers who had nothing to do with the main demo. And of course, that is far more interesting TV than a bunch of middle aged people wandering down the Champs Élysée wearing yellow hi-viz vests. And because the French Police/Gendarmes (and notably the CRS - French riot police) don’t hold back, the demonstrators are happy to go hard from the start. But it’s nothing we’ve not seen in the UK. But day to day, outside of certain metropolitan areas (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille), there’s very little violence and what there is is often young disaffected youths/gangs fighting police in the ‘banlieu’ or estates. Many of those are proper ‘no go zones’.  Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey