Vietnamese in France recount haunting moments of "fireworks and destruction all over the streets"

(Dan Tri) - The lives of Vietnamese people in France have not been disrupted too much during the nearly week of "unprecedentedly large" riots.

Fireworks and destruction all over the streets

At 2 a.m. on June 28, from the 10th floor of an apartment building near District 13 in Paris, Nguyen Ngoc Quynh (27 years old) heard police sirens, but did not know what was happening in the area. That morning, on her way to work in District 2, Quynh saw many burned-out car tracks along both sides of the road. "It must have been a car accident," she guessed. When she arrived at the train station and read the notice of suspension of operations, she just thought it was because of a "broken train" and quickly took a ride-hailing service to be on time for work. "When I got there, I learned that there had been riots in the center of Paris and some surrounding areas last night," Quynh said. Following the news on the radio, the Vietnamese girl was shocked to see many supermarkets and vehicles burned down, and stores had to close iron fences to avoid having their windows smashed.

Burned cars were scattered along both sides of the road after a night of riots (Photo: Character provided).

Nearly 500km away, at midnight in Lyon - one of the largest cities in France after Paris, Phan Ha (27 years old) witnessed a group of young people setting off fireworks and destroying things all over the streets. When she got home, she saw many videos on social media showing the rioters driving cars into supermarkets, shattering glass windows. Another group smashed cars and "looted" things from stores and shopping malls. "Most of the protests took place at night. In the past few days, I have limited going out alone late at night," Ha said.

Broken glass at the Coliseum Theatre in Roubaix, June 30 (Photo: AFP)

"At that time, my family was living in a residential area near the Eiffel Tower and did not know anything. The next morning, I still took the train from District 16 (Western Paris) to District 5," Ms. Truong Giang (42 years old, who runs a tourist apartment rental service in Paris) recalled. The media widely reported on the riots in Nanterre and sensitive areas, making Ms. Giang worried. At the same time, she received news that the year-end party scheduled to take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for all parents and students at her child's school was abruptly canceled. Local authorities also announced that many public programs and events that attract large crowds were temporarily canceled to ensure security and order. The mayor of Paris said that bus and tram services in and around the capital would be suspended from 9 p.m. every day, starting June 29. A town on the outskirts of Paris has issued a curfew to deal with the violence at night. People are not allowed to leave their homes from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day, from June 29 to July 3. "We are advised to limit going out late at night, all activities still take place normally during the day. The police are mobilized to the maximum," said Ms. Giang. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on June 30 that the country will deploy 45,000 police officers nationwide, mobilizing many special units. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that the French military police will organize armored vehicles to deal with the escalating situation.

Police evacuate protesters and tourists at Champs-Élysées Avenue (Paris), early morning July 2 (Photo: Le Monde).

On the community group, Ms. Giang and some French people calmly followed the riots. No one was panicked, nor angry. They expressed sadness and sympathy for the unfortunate incident. They also felt disappointed because many events were forced to pause in the excitement of a vibrant summer after the Covid-19 pandemic. "However, we respect the decision of the authorities, patiently monitor and wait for further announcements," the Vietnamese woman calmly said.

"The biggest riot ever"

In the city of Antony, a suburb of Paris, Nguyen Thi Tuong Vi (29 years old) said her life was not disrupted by the riots. However, because she studies and works in the center of the capital, her daily commute was more or less affected. On June 29-30, traffic was disrupted, there were no buses or trains, so Tuong Vi used the subway to go to work. This means of transport had fewer trips than usual, the long waiting time and the crowds made her tired. To cope with the riots that could happen at any time, Vi limited going out late, and did not go to high-risk districts in Paris such as districts 19 and 20. Her parents in Vietnam kept calling to ask about the situation. Hearing their daughter's safety report, they breathed a sigh of relief. In the context of the unstable security situation in Paris and some areas in recent days, the Vietnamese Embassy in France on July 3 advised Vietnamese citizens living, studying and working in France to constantly update the situation on mass media and be cautious when traveling to areas with unstable security situation. In case of necessity, citizens can contact the Embassy via the citizen protection hotline.

A police helicopter flies over the Alma district, in Roubaix, northern France, early morning on July 2 (Photo: Le Monde).

After studying and working in France for 6 years, Ngoc Quynh said this was "an unprecedented riot". The 27-year-old girl said that in the past, France often had strikes or protests. At that time, if the train was not running, the bus would take its place. "But this time, the vehicles were almost paralyzed, for fear of being vandalized. On July 3, I had to walk about 4km home," Quynh said. The riots caused more than 5,600 cars, 1,000 private properties to be burned or damaged, and 250 police stations to be attacked. The French Ministry of Justice announced that about 3,900 people had been arrested since June 30, including 1,244 minors. Of these, 157 were arrested on the night of July 2 and the early morning of July 3, a significant decrease compared to the previous day. After the peak of the riots, Ms. Truong Giang saw life in the center of Paris return to a "state of peace ", with no signs of protests. On the evening of July 3, she walked to the city hall and watched a series of concerts celebrating the Paris Olympics until midnight. She took some photos of the city scene to update her friends and visitors on the situation.

(Paris's rhythm returns to "peace" after the riots. Photo: Provided by the character). Arriving in France for the first time in 2004, looking back on a long journey with this country, Ms. Giang said that protests here are not uncommon. "Many times while sitting and drinking coffee, I see crowds waving flags, playing drums and music, chanting slogans while walking, escorted by police through the streets. This is a legal form of protest, regulated by law. They are organized, have asked for permission in advance and are completely peaceful," the woman said. Meanwhile, according to her, riots often originate from the suburbs, areas marked as sensitive, incited by extremists and criminals to cause disorder and insecurity for personal gain.

"I hope to see beautiful Paris again"

According to CNN, life in France is largely normal after 6 days of riots. The central areas of Paris, where the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower are located, are almost unaffected. Similarly, rural and coastal areas still have many tourists. CNN said that tourists still need to pay attention because it is not clear how long the protests will continue as well as the measures the government will take to restore order. Ms. Truong Giang recommends that Vietnamese tourists planning to visit Paris at this time should "avoid" areas where protests and riots often occur, such as: Bastille Square, République Square, Italie Square, etc. If public transport is disrupted, it will be announced in advance. Tourists should download the RATP (Paris Public Transport Management) application to monitor the actual situation. Many routes from the suburbs to the center will be suspended earlier than usual. "People do not need to cancel their schedules, just pay attention to the current developments and avoid riot areas," Ms. Giang said.

Tuong Vi said that traveling to France in early July "will be a bit risky", because many cities are still maintaining measures to restore order. But according to her, if they have already booked tickets, Vietnamese tourists should still continue their journey, check whether the hotel is in a safe area or not, visit districts with less riots, and return to their accommodation early. "The situation in France is gradually stabilizing. Everyone hopes that the riots will end soon, leaving behind a beautiful Paris," she said.

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