“French culture is all about right and your right to demonstrate,” said Claire Simon.
Simon is a native New Orleanian but has lived in Paris for more than 30 years. She says the ongoing protests aren’t out of the ordinary, and that despite some pockets of violence breaking out over the weekend, many demonstrations have played out peacefully.
“They’re not necessarily hurting people, but they’re going in, damaging businesses and looting, so that causes the police to react with tear gas, but it looks like we’re in a demilitarized zone and that’s not the case. The majority of the city is not like that,” said Simon.
Travel experts, including Verified Travel Advisor Mallory Lindsly, says this is an example of why travelers should also consider getting “CFAR” travel insurance. It allows travelers to cancel for any reason when civil unrest is often not covered under many travel insurance plans.
Though Lindsly hasn’t had any clients cancel their trips through her Chasing Sunsets Travel Agency, she encouraged them to keep a close eye on the ongoing demonstrations and be ready to pivot plans if needed.
“If some of the biggest tourist areas are overrun by protests or riots, go do something that’s smaller, maybe take a train out of town,” said Lindsly.
Travelers are also encouraged to sign up for the State Department’s STEP program to get the latest security alerts.
