Protests are tearing across France.
asserted
Protests → tear → France
violence has erupted in its romantic boulevards, looters have invaded the chic boutiques, and the scent of warm croissants and fresh baguettes has been overwhelmed by the whiff of tear gas.
asserted
scent → erupt → gas
For many across Europe, particularly the young, conventional, centrist political parties are failing to revive the continent's stagnating economies.
asserted
parties → fail → economies
Support for extremist politicians has risen dramatically.
asserted
Support → rise → politicians
We spent a week in Paris trying to understand who and what are driving the demonstrations - and we talked to the leader of France's populist anti-immigration party who now, months away from crucial elections, could benefit from the strife in the streets.
uncertain
who → spend → streets
They used to call Paris La Ville de L'amour - the City of Love.
asserted
They → use → Love
2,500 businesses have been damaged, more than 1,500 police injured, and the bill for damage to property is said to have climbed to more than a billion dollars.
asserted
bill → damage → dollars
This nation is used to street protest.
asserted
nation → use → protest
But the French have been jolted by the violence, and bewildered by their government's failure to get the chaos under control.
asserted
French → jolt → control
Now more and more voters are turning to a political alternative that for decades past they regarded as beyond the pale.
asserted
they → turn → pale
I have a simple rule: if you don't stop criminals, they won't stop.
asserted
they → have → criminals
Marine Le Pen is easily the best known face of right-wing populism in Europe.
asserted
Pen → know → Europe
She's the longtime leader of the National Rally Party and now the favourite - after three failed attempts - to win the keys to France's presidential palace next April.
asserted
She → fail → palace
Since the protests began, Le Pen's popularity has risen.
asserted
popularity → begin → ?
What is happening in Europe?
asserted
What → happen → Europe
Has politics here just become more radical?
asserted
politics → become → ?
What is the explanation for that, and your own rising popularity?
asserted
explanation → rise → that
Marine Le Pen: (in French/English Translation) The extreme left creates chaos.
asserted
left → create → chaos
They generate violence against people, against the police, against public property.
asserted
They → generate → property
Le Pen and the protestors may be political opposites, but both agree on one thing: the way that France has done politics for the past few decades has failed.
uncertain
France → agree → decades
It has to be said that a number of the high school students' demands are perfectly worth listening to, but that does not justify allowing people with violent urges to act out.
asserted
that → have → urges
The turmoil didn't start here in the city, but back in mid-September, in a quiet, working class suburb, home to many immigrant families.
asserted
turmoil → start → families
Now, I think a lot of students are angry.
asserted
lot → think → students
But like an example, I want to go to the bathroom, and I see there is no toilet paper anywhere, and I'm-- I'm just pissed off.
asserted
I → want → bathroom
Can I say it?
asserted
I → say → it
You can say whatever you like.
asserted
you → say → whatever
Malhia Garin joined an early morning demonstration at her high school on the edge of Paris.
asserted
Garin → join → Paris
Naturally, the students captured the protest on their phones.
asserted
students → capture → phones
Some people had the idea--uh like me, to post it on social media, and it came viral.
asserted
it → have → media
And after we have protests in Paris, Marseilles, Lyon, a lot of big cities in France.
asserted
we → have → France
The students at Saint-Ex never imagined that they'd become the spark that lit a fire across the nation.
asserted
that → imagine → nation
Within weeks, the demonstrations were drawing half a million people.
asserted
demonstrations → draw → people
Parents came out to back their sons and daughters.
asserted
Parents → come → sons
What started as a campaign for better funding of education has broadened into a wider protest about economic inequality.
asserted
started → start → inequality
Jack, tell us in English what they're chanting.
asserted
they → tell → what
Jack: They're saying "There's money in the billionaires' pockets, in the boss's pockets, in big corporations' pockets.
asserted
They → say → pockets
Much of the animosity focuses on France's president.
asserted
Much → focus → president
Macron is the worst president we had since a lot of time.
asserted
we → have → time
Elected nearly 10 years ago, Emmanuel Macron seemed like a fresh face, promising centrist leadership.
asserted
Macron → elect → leadership
A decade later, he's a lame duck who voters think has left France with too many bills and too little money.
asserted
voters → think → bills
…and 86 more, not listed.
The Aporia
