Lhe Nantes water mirror is a prime location in the city for anyone hoping to maximize their exposure to the sun. And then there are often specimens of enthusiastic and tempered children. One stone kills two birds for the (pale) journalist that I am.
Serendipity (no, in truth, ruthless tactics), a small regiment of children has set up camp just to my left. Well, I’m talking about a regiment, but we should rather imagine a company, or a small battalion, made up of four members: two little girls of about ten years old, accompanied – followed – by their respective little brothers and sisters. One has dark skin and the teeth of happiness, the other very nicely protruding ears and almond-shaped eyes. The whole troop is swallowing clementine wedges but, given their crestfallen faces, I have the impression that this is not their favorite snack…
“Oh no me, what I prefer is the madeleines… Do you see the ones with chocolate underneath?”
– Oh yeah … Or the madeleines of the airy center with lots of little chocolate chips in it! But there we had mandarin… or big clementine, I don’t know. It’s not that bad, but hey…”
I hesitate to launch a collective reflection on the different types of citrus fruits when a group of people, having returned from the demonstration on 1er May, which ends nearby, passes in front of us. I then question my young interlocutors on their knowledge of the event.
Demonstrations for equality
” 1er May is Labor Day! And also lily of the valley! Besides, my orange smelled of lily of the valley I think…
— Yes it’s Labor Day because everyone is working, men and moms! And suddenly there are demonstrations for equality of work between men and women and also because there are people who are unemployed.
— Unemployment, you see, is when you want to do a job but you can’t, because there’s no more room. »
And what do they think of the protests then?
“Me, my father, he doesn’t work a lot because he is 99% telecommuting so that’s okay”
“I’ve never been there to demonstrations, I find it a bit scary, because sometimes people shout and everything… And then the other time, towards the tram, afterwards, it stung my eyes and the nose.
– Yes it’s firecracker fights! When we were talking about it with a friend from school, he said to me “does that scare you?” and I said “well no!” ; my big sister, she has already been there and my parents too I believe. But it was old protests from before, like before TV you see…”
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