Journal: I'll never be a war photographer [+pics]

I didn't like the police much, and even less the riot control units ("CRS"). On my way back from where I bought a pack of Ilford paper for Gonzale, I got trapped in the middle of a demonstration against the CPE (if you don't know what the fuck this is all about read here edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/eur…). Some stones got slung above the demonstration, right on the riot control units, which were forming walls to contain the demonstrators. They reacted by charging into the protesters and shooting tear gas in all the directions.
TEAR GAS HURTS
I got a tear gas spray right in my direction. Well, in these cases, there's not much to do. Just try to remember which direction was opposite to the police and walk in that direction. When you touch something solid, like a wall, sit down and wait until it stops burning. Don't try to rub your eyes with your hands. Your hands are full of tear gas residues. Cold water helps though.


Here is one of the last pics I shot before collapsing :


Don't know why but I managed to get some shoots since I could not get out. Seeing kilogram heavy stones flying like 10 meters above your head is scary. Now I understand why some journalists had military grade helmets... Strangely enough, I saw quite a lot of Cweekses, like one with two 1Ds MkII with a 17-40L, another the other one with a 100-400L and a Leica M6 with a Summilux 35. Haha. I also saw a guy quietly focusing a Yashica MAT sitting on the ground in the middle of the mess. Unbelievable.

edit: I should also note that my school is within a "confinement perimeter" along with the Sorbonne, right across the street (which got invaded last week, see www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/…). One needs to have an ID card from our school to get in. Nobody else is let in.. This creates huge jams in the morning when 2000 students try to get in all at once.. Sometimes, being in a prestigious school sucks :/
Here are some disturbing pics :






Charlotte, you owe me a pack of tissues, a bottle of mineral water and a gigapack of fear-containment.

Self development