This week there have been two big demonstrations in Paris pro- and anti-gay marriage, as the French Senate has passed a gay-marriage bill called "Mariage pour tous."
Some American friends of mine here live near the area where the anti-gay-marriage protestors were and were expecting an Austrian friend of theirs to arrive from the airport. But the Austrian's taxi couldn't get near their house; all the streets were blocked off because of the protest. The Austrian got out and walked with his suitcase, but the CRS (riot police) wouldn't even let him walk past the barriers. He got out his phone and called my friends. Ed decided to go down and get him.
At the barrier, Ed couldn't get out, and the Austrian couldn't get in, and they were thirty feet apart. They waved at each other. The inside CRS told the outside CRS to let the Austrian go past the barrier as he was visiting Ed.
"C'est votre ami?" one CRS guys asked Ed.
"C'est mon fiancé!" said Ed (who is straight). He and his friend embraced.
As he led his friend back to the house, Ed heard one of the CRS call "Bonne journée!" and another call "Non, non, bonne nuit!"
