Column: Protesting as a sport

It was a cool Paris afternoon filled with a steady bustle of people on the streets despite the lack of sunshine.
 
As I walked along the streets of Paris, closer to the Seine river and the Notre Dame, I heard a steady chant of voices. Pushing through the crowd, I encountered a protest. Fliers were quickly put in my hand, and I was surrounded by signs. One group spoke about environmental concerns while the other advocated to free Palestine.

We were warned during our orientation that the Parisians treat protests and political activism as a sport, but even knowing that, the number of people and range of issues involved was still surprising.

The following protest I ran into was by far the most impressive. It made international headlines. AP reported, “Thousands criticize French leader in Paris Protest.” France 24 reported, “Thousands take part in Paris ‘Day of Anger’ targeting President Hollande.”
 
Walking near the Bastille, I began to see armed French officers, fully equipped with bulletproof vests and guns. The numbers grew with the sound of chanting. Painted signs advocated for a multitude of issues.

Jan. 26, 2014: Un jour de colère, a day of anger.

I took a seat at a local café and decided to observe the action unfold. The police were aligned along the sidewalk, ready to take action as protesters continued to let their voices be heard in the pouring rain.

In a second, officers with the title “gendarmerie” labeled on their vests dashed to the center of scene. Protests are common enough in France there is a military force specifically equipped to handle police duties among citizen populations. Essentially, they have an entire unit just for protests.
 
As I attempted to eavesdrop, hoping to catch a word or two of the action, a couple of Americans commented on the common occurrence of protests in Paris, but noted this one seemed to be getting more attention than others.
 
TV crews, additional police teams and observers continued to gather.

Within seconds, I heard distant booms, echoing back in my direction. One of the American women sitting at the café commented, “It sounds like tear gas.”

The passionate mass of protesters and the officers responding to them was contrasted by the nonchalance of bystanders going about their day. This was normal.

In the United States, most protests I have observed concern individual rights such as gay marriage or the right to abortion. Demonstrators during the day of anger protested broader topics concerning the masses, such as high rates of unemployment and high taxes, similar to the demands made by the Occupy Wall Street movement in the U.S.

Contrastingly, the protesters that were a part of the day of anger were not only young, but were a sample of the broad age range in France. All were united against the current government under President Francois Hollande.

Eventually the protesters were hushed and the area returned to its quiet Sunday afternoon bustle, but something tells me this certainly won’t be the last French protest I run into.

Follow columnist Anu Kumar on Twitter @AnuKumar23.