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Thanks for all this great info Metatone!!!

I can address some of your points:

a) I've been in front of a row of charging riot police once in my life (accidentally, there were some riots At Les Halles in Paris at night and I just happened to walk through unaware of it) and I moonwalked out of there at full speed. So I will definitely avoid being too frontal.

b) I've decided to opt for a tiny pocket digital in order to be able to quickly pocket it. The pictures won't be great on the other hand.

d) I wear contact lenses so tear gas won't affect me as much (I know it sounds weird but lenses collect a lot of the stingy stuff on their surface and it thus doesn't hit your eye)

e) and f) are good advice, particularly f) is important, I'll keep it in mind at all times

by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 06:54:50 PM EST
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One important note however:
Since there are 3 rugby matches in the afternoon, I'll be leaving before the end of the demonstration, and that's generally when the shit hits the fan so I think it'll all be ok and the pictures I'll post here will only be pictures of youths having fun ;)
by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 06:57:32 PM EST
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Oh? Off to watch the Catalans Dragons? ;-)
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 07:07:11 PM EST
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Ahhh! Ohhhh! Young man I demand an explanation for this repeated reference to Rugby League.
by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 07:09:07 PM EST
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Well, I might make it to a home game this season, which would put me close to your neck of the woods...
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 07:15:29 PM EST
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I just now saw this.  I was thinking a march or something and the thought of things descending into actual riots and brutality hadn't occurred to me until I read Metatone's great advice.

With that in mind, this old, scarred veteran of more than a few riots in L.A. only has this to add -- don't ignore the cloth advice!  Listen to Metatone!  Wait, that's not adding anything, it's nagging... sorry.  Okay, take a bottle of water if you can, both to flush your eyes (contacts can only do so much) or to wet the cloth with and breathe through.  

Also, if there's a chance you might end up in jail, write an emergency phone number on your forearm in ink.  It's difficult to remember numbers in these situations, even if you know them well.  One last thing -- BE CAREFUL!  I'll look forward to seeing your photos.  Let us know when you're back safe!

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 07:34:59 PM EST
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If shit hits the fan(s), and I find myself in front of a police charge, I'll immediately turn my coat and go "bouuuuu look at these immoral youths bouuuu" and discretely moonwalk out of there.
by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 08:04:05 PM EST
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Okay, so long as you bear in mind that that's what everybody thinks.  In my experience, the immoral youth usually scooted away moments before the innocent bystanders got walloped.  Just sayin'...

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Mar 16th, 2006 at 08:25:51 PM EST
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In your blue Hawaian shirt, pretend to be a tourist looking for the beach.

Alex: "Mais où est la plage, s'il vous plaît?"

CRS: "Sous les pavés, connard!"

"Where is the beach, please?"
"Under the paving-stones, asshole!"

(Allusion to May '68 slogan, "Sous les pavés, la plage": "Under the paving-stones, the beach", allusion in its turn to the expanses of sand found beneath the paving-stones prised up to be used as missiles, er, paperweights).

(I'd like to draw this scene, but I'm not Cabu).

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 17th, 2006 at 02:05:17 AM EST
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