The rioting French are punished by Macron, with immediate ban on firework parties
CIBUK.org
Posted On July 11, 2023
Macron’s government pours cold water on private ‘Independence Day’ parties
Party-pooper Macron suddenly bans fireworks for ‘Bastille Day’ due to disorder
The French are in revolt. On Saturday (08 July 2023) Emmanuel Macron’s Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, issued a decree regarding France’s ‘Bastille Day’ this Friday. Here is what it says:-
“In order to prevent the risk of serious disturbances to public order during the July 14 festivities, the sale, carrying, transport and use of pyrotechnic articles and fireworks are prohibited until July 15 inclusive, throughout the national territory.”
– Élisabeth Borne, Prime Minister, Paris, Sat 08 Jul 2023
Bastille night parties are part of the French tradition
Decrees are issued all the time in France and there is even a government website where you can try to keep up with them all. This decree came into force with immediate effect on Saturday and without any warning.
It means that French citizens who had planned and organised private parties to celebrate France’s ‘Independence Day’ – and this is common practice across the country – will be unable to buy fireworks or to light any they had already bought.
These are part of the French tradition, akin to the UK’s ‘Guy Fawkes’ Night’ on 05 November.
Photo credit :
Chief Petty Officer Michael McNabb,
US Navy
This year Bastille Day falls on a Friday, making the punishment even heavier
All the businesses that had built up stocks of fireworks have had to remove them from sale and will be left having to store them somehow. All the private citizens who had purchased fireworks must also keep them locked away.
Given that July temperatures in parts of France are currently in the high 30s (approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and night-time temperatures in some parts are at 25 degrees Celsius, there must be some concern about fire risks from all these fireworks having to be stored.
France’s National Day has its sparklers extinguished
Mercifully President Macron has not banned private parties completely, but any French person will tell you that a Bastille Night party is not a Bastille Night party without fireworks. These generally start at around 10pm and continue into the night.
14 July in France is a national holiday. The name comes from the storming of La Bastille on 14 July 1789, which was a key date in the French Revolution. La Bastille was a fortress in Paris which acted as a prison and armoury.
To most French people the date has great significance. Technically it is known as the Fête de la Fédération, which took place exactly one year later, but in common parlance it is simply known as “le 14 juillet”.
Credit: Bibliothèque nationale de France
This will make Macron’s ‘party pooper’ government even less popular than it already is
The reason for this abrupt move by Macron’s government is the massive riots which have been taking place in French cities across the country since the killing of a 17-year-old of Algerian extraction by a gendarme.
Faced with tear gas being used by French police on an almost industrial scale, some of the rioting French have resorted to throwing fireworks.
According to the authorities, over 3,700 people have been arrested so far and the riots continued this past weekend.
‘The Independence Documentary’
Together with our partners at Facts4EU.Org, we’ve organised a TV-style documentary with a stellar line-up of well-known politicians and all kinds of interesting people, young and old, men and women, white and ethnic origin, presented by Alexandra Phillips. Alex will be known to many readers as an ex-GB News presenter and a frequent sight on everything from Question Time to Talk TV. We have finished filming – now we have the long task of editing, if we can get some extra funding. This is going to be big!
Please help today if you can: click here to read more
Observations
From the ‘gilets jaunes’ riots, to riots over his pension reforms, to the current riots over the death of a young man at the hands of the police, President Macron must be starting to think it isn’t worth the candle to occupy the Elysée Palace. Well now he has even extinguished the (roman) candles for France’s national day.
President Macron’s electoral fortunes are fizzling out like a spent sparkler. Marine Le Pen would win the presidency of France if an election were held again tomorrow. She is currently 10% higher in the polls than the incumbent.
The decree was announced on Saturday by Macron’s Prime Minister. French presidents have traditionally used their prime ministers to deflect criticism, which is perhaps why they tend to have short tenures.
We doubt this latest move will endear Monsieur Macron any further to a large section of the French populace. France – as with so many other EU countries – is moving to the right.
Main Image: montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023
