Commentary and photos by Anabelle Ballard.
I chose to focus on forms of social protest and political commentary in French society. The mediums of protest ranged from posters to graffiti, and were pulled from people protesting on the street, in the metro, or in the Place de la République.
Pro-Palestinian messaging, condemning of the upper class, and criticism of French leaders like Macron emerged as main areas of protest in my search. Phrases such as “la promotion du fascisme” and “43 milliardaires en France, c’est 43 parasites” reflect on French discontent with economic and political injustices. Politically charged words such as “fascist” and “genocide” were also commonly used in messaging.
I also included a photo of some of the homeless encampments along the Seine as even though the tents in and of themselves are not inherently trying to be a form of social protest, they do provoke some level of social commentary. I find the parallels between French and American expressions of discontent can be utilized to paint a picture of widespread social issues on a global scale.
