May Day

May 1, 2009

Well the French were out in force again today, May Day, a national holiday. Only on May Day, does French law give this little girl, and all other venders, the right to sell lilies of the valley, symbolizing friendship and goodwill, without a permit or t.ax burden

For the first time in history the protest was planned jointly by different syndicates. It ended at the Place de Peyrou about two hours after it started as people folded up in their huge signs and settled in to socialize for a while.

The parade also included parents protesting the proposed closing of the nursery schools, (called Maternelles) two groups of people protesting the treatment of the Palestinians, and the Communists represented by the Communist Party, the Young Communist Party and a wonderful bold flag of Che.

The left in France is very disorganized. In response, new parties have appeared such as the Anti Capitalist Party and the New Left. The leader of the New Left got tired of the 47% of the voters who are French Socialists fighting with the 2% of the voters who are French communists and with within their own ranks so he left his membership in the Socialist Party and started his own.

Homemade signs had the most humor.

As the 30,000 participants walked by banks, this man partcipated in his own way by cleaning them up.

People clapped and waved saying, "Croutons for the employees and millions for the banks."