“Close your eyes. Listen to the street.” Two phrases by Ben written on a station of the Nice Tramway. We are on Avenue Jean Médecin a few steps from the Nice Etoile shopping center. On the tracks, no train, the tramway was already on strike, only protesters. There were a few thousand marching on Tuesday morning between the Tête Carrée and Place Masséna. The slogan was the same as everywhere in France: the defense of the public service, the increase in salaries and purchasing power. The demonstrations on Tuesday, November 20, gathered nearly 700,000 people throughout France (375,000 according to the police), primarily civil servants, accompanied by railway workers and students. The demonstration took place calmly in Nice. The ranks were not very tight and the slogans already heard: “Increase wages.” The Nice procession was closed by students who recently started the movement in the Alpes Maritimes. There were a few hundred. They improvised a sitting in front of the office of the majority MP Rudy Salles, Avenue Jean Médecin.
Listening a little closer and straining the ear, the invectives are mainly directed at Nicolas Sarkozy. “He alone can afford to increase himself overnight by 140%. The UDF deputies who supported him received more money. I have been a teacher for 19 years. And I feel like my salary has dropped by 140%! What revolts me the most is the abuse of power. If I want to be raised, I have to strike and demonstrate. I am not at all convinced by the result, and I lose a day’s salary. Our president can alone get up in the morning and say: ‘how about I increase my salary’. I find it indecent!” Danièle’s speech reflects the atmosphere of the demonstration. 
Exiting a store, Paul, a non-protester and mere observer, analyzes: “I understand their anger. I also understand the anger of those disrupted by the strikes. In fact, I think it’s not so much that purchasing power has decreased. It’s mostly our needs that have increased.” He proves his analysis by opening his bag, taking out a box containing a mobile phone: “You see: I bought a second mobile. My wife and I each have one. I paid 63 euros for this one with a plan at 45€. This is as much expenditure as we didn’t have 20 years ago.” Q.E.D.
More photos: Marc Monticelli’s site
