Wondering about demonstrations in Paris

Hi there!

Great question-I was in Paris for 2 weeks during a big part of the "Yellow Jacket" protests, and they were everywhere, some venues were closed, and one morning I got up early for a walk and watched as 22 armored tanks passed me on Blvd. St Germain-still have it on my cell phone! That being said, I have only wonderful memories of that trip-felt safe walking around, and having been to this beautiful city several times, did not miss seeing a few things that were closed. Still went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and if my memory serves, the only ticket that went to waste was the Catacombs.

Your comfort level is ALL that matters, and of course, up to you. What I found was that the Yellow Jackets were in certain parts of the city at certain times, and altho a few streets were guarded and blocked, again, the trip was great.
This was December 2018....
Whatever your decision, safe and happy travels!

To what reports are you referring specifically?

There are always demonstrations in Paris. It´s a right guaranteed in their constitution. Demonstrations are annoying, block bus routes, tie up traffic, and consume an enormous amount of police manpower, but for tourists, they are easily avoided and generally of no particular concern.

My last trip to Paris was in November 2019 so I have no recent experience in Paris, but I'll be going to Paris in mid-September and have been in contact with friends there as I plan my trip. They say that there are Covid-related protests, typically on Saturdays and typically peaceful. These are people demonstrating against the health pass which they say violates their rights. They march around around holding up signs demanding liberty, freedom, etc. From what I hear from my friends, there are fewer people each weekend and no one pays them any mind. The risk of conflict is low because it's not like the people who have gotten the health passes are doing counter-demonstrations. These are not riots. If it counts, my friend who lives in the western part of the 6th arrondissement says she has not heard of a protest in Paris this weekend but who knows, she is so busy enjoying her life in what she calls Paris 2.0 that she may not have noticed.

we have watched demonstrations for decades in Paris and were at the May 1 annual demonstration a couple of years ago about 3 minutes before the black block got violent and tear gassed. Demonstrations are a way of life. They are usually announced, they are well policed and easy to avoid.

Thanks to all who have responded - you’ve all confirmed what we’ve been thinking. We’ve had the good fortune to visit frequently and have experienced strikes, demonstrations and confrontations - including a 2020 New Years trip when we lived through an interminable loss of nationwide public transport.

But we have not yet returned post Covid and the US embassy alert gave us pause. All of you have helped put the current situation in context. Thank you! I’ll share our experience there next week for those who may be travelling in the near future.

I believe you are talking about the weekly Saturday anti-health pass demonstration. It's a relatively small group that gets too much press, and it doesn't last long. It's good that you asked because the Embassy warnings give an alarming impressions, sometimes warranted, sometimes not.
Edit: to support what Kerouac2 said about the participants : some tried to force their way into the Musée Fabre in Montpellier Saturday. When the doors were locked on them, they defaced the exterior. The groups are already small and attacking the beloved patrimony does not win them support from the general public.

I am on the ground as well, and I confirm that disruption is really minimal. Expect some closed metro stations on Saturdays, and that's about it.

You'll see more of it on American media and social media than you will in France. As others wrote, protesting is a regular thing, and a respected right. To put it in perspective, as of 1 Sept, 96% of Parisian adults are fully vaccinated.

The crowds are becoming smaller each week and it's not a reason to avoid Paris. When they first started up this theme, though, there were actually a few very aggressive and unpleasant people in the crowd that bothered us as we left a store. First time I've ever had a personal problem with protestors.

In any case, protests in France are normal and not usually concerning. It's still best to avoid their routes. The themes change but the time honored tradition continues. The vaccination rate increased and is quite high now (78% fully vaccinated over age 12) so I would imagine they'll shift to a new theme soon.

To put it in perspective, as of 1 Sept, 96% of Parisian adults are fully vaccinated.

Citation, please.

75018 the news tonight said 67.6, but then last week Tousanticovid posted 68.6. No matter, it's going in the right direction.

If the fully vacced rate among adults in Paris is in the 90% range, only word I can say....bravo ! We can be glad that SF and Marin County are the highest in CA. ca. 80%.

You can look up the data for any department in France, to know the situation in the area you are visiting: LINK

The link goes to stats for fully vaccinated "majeures", from data.gouv.fr The dashboard includes also includes many other related data sets, the hospital situation, the current case rate, etc. by using the navigation at the left. You can narrow by department.

Other sites take the official data and calculate net overall 1st and 2nd dose penetration by department, like this one: LINK2