
Yesterday, (wednes) we could hear some noises and apparently it was some students protesting some law. But it calmed down and I didn't see them. TODAY I went to school and there was a huge amount of people outside the gate (schools here are always fenced off in some type of way). There were talking amongst themselves and I went through the gate. I went to the club room where my friends and I hang out, and I asked what all the people were doing out there. They said that it was the protest. Apparently they did it last year and didn't let anyone into the school. They also said it's a nation-wide thing. So that was fine. Some of my friends went to take the bus to some climbing wall for gym class, but I didn't have class yet so I stayed in the club. Another girl from the club came in and said that the high school "Mistral" was coming and they were going to cause a wreck because Phillipe Lamour (my school) was one of the few schools left that hadn't shut down due to the protests. I was a little scared and decided not to walk to gym class, because most people wouldn't be there, and I didn't feel safe going outside. My friends came back and said that the classes were closed. So then I called Esther but she couldn't pick me up right away and I said that was fine, I was in the club. Then someone pointed out the window and we looked out. A mass of teenagers were crossing the street, and a bunch of Lamour protesters were rushing to greet them. I was getting really scared. Then someone said that Mistral (apparently an aggressive place) was going to cause trouble for the people that weren't protesting. That includes me, cause I'm not going to cause trouble when I don't even know what the heck I would be protesting for, and I'm not even a French citizen. My friends weren't protesting either because they did last year and it didn't do anything, and they thought that it was a bit out of hand today. Anyway, someone went to ask a staff member what we should do. Turns out the best thing was to go outside the gate and show the idiots that we weren't in class. That wasn't safe, but safer. I was near tears because I have never witnessed anything like this before, and the aggressive school hadn't even reached us yet. Sophie and Margot and I quickly walked off school grounds. And I called Esther again. She was going to try and hurry but there was something important going on. Sophie's dad was going to pick up her and Margot. It was while waiting with them that I found out the scariest part. I'd thought that fists were going to be involved, but apparently they were planning on bringing knives and stuff (I don't know whether or not they did, because I'm at the house now, but Noemie says they didn't.) I was so scared. Margot and Sophie took me with them, because they didn't want to leave me alone. Sophie's dad is, I guess, a truck driving teacher because we got into this huge semi, with a student driver behind the wheel. Her dad was really nice, but they could only drop me off at a far entrance of Bouillargues, because the truck was too big. I said it was fine. And I planned to call Esther but the road looked familiar, as Jocelyn had once driven me around Bouillargues (which is bigger than I imagined). Thankfully it was the right road, and I also managed to find my way thanks to the cross on the top of the Church which is in the centre of the village. (Thank God, literally). It took about 20 minutes to walk back to the house. Anyway. Some people are saying that there wasn't actually any violence, but we shall see. The protests are supposed to happen again tomorrow, but I don't know if school will stayed closed or not. I'm still really scared and I'll talk to Jocelyn, thank goodness he's a cop.
Above is a picture I took of people joining the others at our school. (This is a small fraction of the people.)
Oh. Jocelyn just got home and I asked him, and he says he's heard something about guns or violence so he's glad we came home.
I am safe, just a little shaken. And I know the Laurettas won't let me do anything dangerous.
5 comments:
Wow!!!
those Strike and Protest things can be very scary if you are not part of them. The gang from Mistral sounds like young delinquents!
I was in a similar thing in Florence at the Uni, but no weapons were involved...just people stomping around with placards. Not nice though. Good thing for your friends being there and the father!
Yeah. I don't think I will go to school tomorrow. Because if they are protesting, it'll probably the exact same thing as today.
How interesting that the angry protesters in your photo were standing under a sign that says "Noel". Kinda makes you wonder. Glad you're okay.....chalk it up to experience.
Hey, why am I (Auntie Michele) identified as anonymous in my previous post?? I'm gonna get a complex!
Hahhahaha. I'm still confused about how the name thing works on these blog comments.
But you're right. I never noticed the "noel" before.
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