Paris security

The Red Brigades were in Italy.
In Germany they had the Rote Armee Fraktion.

And in the USA we had armed security after 9/11.

I noticed an armed soldier in CDG airport as assistance moved my husband from one terminal to another.

Our bus encountered security at the Spanish border, also. They did not enter the bus to check passports, although our guide said it looked as though security was "looking for something specific other than our bus."

The equivalent of TSA at CDG seems to be more attentive than TSA at IAH (Houston) airport. I forgot to take out my 3-1-1 bag at IAH although TSA did detect my husband's prescription topical cream & asked for it. At CDG when the 3-1-1 bags were not out, we were asked if we had any liquids.

This is not new. There have been armed patrols for decades and they've stepped it up to make people feel better.

We saw groups of three at CDG and every train station, including Gare Montparnasse, Avignon TGV, and here, at Lyon Part Dieu.
They were very unobtrusive (or as unobtrusive as one can be ) just moving slowly through the crowd. And this was three months before the attack in Paris.

The more security, the better. And assault rifles are better than handguns, then you can really relax and enjoy the sights.

Thanks for the information on what to expect since I'll be there in a couple of months. As pointed out nothing new really if you've been traveling to Paris constantly, landing at CDG, being at stations Montparnasse, Nord, Est, Lyon, etc. In the mid-1990s you saw the CRS along with troop patrols of three going around at the stations. I've seen more patrols by les français than I saw in Germany in the 1980s.

Seeing officers with automatic assault rifles (instead of just handguns as here) seems to get Americans' attention.
I still remember the first time I went to Israel and saw young men in blue jeans with Uzzis strapped, barrel down, over their shoulder; at that time, off-duty soldiers were required to be armed.

reminds me of a time a couple of decades ago when we were walking with friends in Paris after dinner and were blocked from walking down a street near our hotel by armed guards with uzzi like weapons. we learned that it was the street on which Mitterand's mistress resided and he was visiting and so security was diverting any foot traffic.

I've noticed soldiers patrolling major tourist sites in Paris such as the Eiffel Tower for many years, usually in groups of two or three. They carry the FAMAS Assault Rifle which has a very distinctive appearance (similar to the British SA-80, which is also a bullpup design), and is different than the type of weapons used by the Gendarmerie or other police agencies. Other tourists that I've spoken with at some locations are somewhat "nervous" around weapons like that, but they don't bother me in the least. I figure the presence of well trained and well armed soldiers makes the area safer.

I grew up on military bases and live/work just outside of DC so the armed guards didn't even register in my conscious thoughts (insert comments about Americans and guns here).

However, I do remember the vans, because my husband is a gearhead and was taking pictures of different European vans we encountered, including about 8 vans full of gendarmerie on the bridge near Notre dame. We figured it was shift change, probably not a private tour.

True about the distinct look of the FAMAS assault rifle. That should tell the bad guys you don't mess with les français.

This is nothing new.. I have seen armed soliders around Eiffel Tower and on Champs Elysees for YEARS now.. I guess if one has never been to Paris they may assume its new.. but its not.. perhaps a few more now.. but still.. this is a site you will see in many places.. First time I ever saw it was in Athens in 1985.. coming from small town Canada it was a surprise.. they walk around with rifles .. but its nothing to be alarmed aabout.

"This is nothing new."
Yes, reminds me a bit of the news photos from Paris in the early 1960's: French soldiers and Paris police re Algeria/OAS.

As a former American soldier, I always enjoy walking up to the armed soldiers and discussing how pitiful their NATO mandated 5.56 weapons are. Beaucoup merde is the usual opinion. I like having strong men armed in my immediate vicinity. I like the French soldiers and their special ops people are among the best, on par with Seal Team Six and the British Special Air Service (SAS). They are enough to keep the bad guys sleeping fitfully..... since they never know when they will awaken to find them at their bedside.... You will have nothing to fear in Paris. The ones with visible weapons are just the tip of the iceberg and the bad guys know it.

Kent ,, my dad was likely in those crowds.. being a young french man who had just returned a few years before from his tour of duty ( ie he had to go .. as all males then did for a year) in Algeria.. he had strong feelings , as many young folks do .. ( and to this day attributes his dislike of any food that reminds him of his time away.. coucous , . certain spices like cumin and coriander ,, even the smell of them. )

I think the thing is.. while there is a presence of armed soliders in many places.. it never feels oppressive like it might in some countries ( sorry , thinking how I would feel with armed guards all around me in places like Russia or China) .. it feels safe and they seem very calm.. not like they are going to scare or bother tourists or regular folks at all.