For weeks, France has been facing a wave of protests that began with students and gradually spread to wider sections of society, with demands centred on the cost of living and improvements to public services.
The situation reached a peak on 17 October, when large demonstrations were accompanied by serious unrest, clashes with police, fires and widespread looting of shops.
Cypriot students living and studying in Paris say they are watching developments with growing concern.
Speaking to Politis, 18-year-old Maria Papageorgiou, who arrived in the French capital just one month ago, described finding herself caught up in the disturbances and witnessing scenes of destruction the following day.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Constantinos Zachariou, who has lived in Paris for the past seven years, explained why he believes the current unrest is more worrying than previous protest movements.
Although the situation has been relatively calm in recent days, both remain concerned that violence could return.
‘Lost in the middle of the unrest’
Maria Papageorgiou has been in Paris for only a month.
She arrived in mid-September to begin her studies at the Sorbonne, where she is studying History and Archaeology.
Before she had fully settled into her new life, she found herself caught up in the disturbances that have shaken France.
“I came to Paris full of excitement, to study and discover a new city and a new country. I never expected that before completing even one month here I would experience something like this.”
The 18-year-old says she remains shocked by what she experienced on Saturday when she became caught up in the unrest while trying to return home.
Still unfamiliar with Paris and its street network, she lost her bearings and spent several hours trying to get away from the disturbances.
What affected her most, however, were the scenes she witnessed the following day.
In streets where looting had taken place, she saw small business owners desperately trying to salvage what remained of their shops.
She recalls seeing people in tears and describes, in particular, a woman, believed to be a shop owner, who appeared close to collapse and was speaking incoherently.
“Those images do not leave your mind easily.”
Maria says she has discussed events with French classmates and other Cypriots living in Paris.
According to her, the French are generally accustomed to demonstrations, yet even they are troubled by the scale of the violence.
Although conditions have appeared calmer in recent days, she remains extremely cautious when moving around the city because she fears tensions could flare up again.
At the same time, her parents in Cyprus remain in constant contact, anxiously following developments in France.
“They keep calling to check that I’m okay. I try to reassure them, but the truth is that I’m worried as well. Things are calmer now, but nobody knows what will happen in the coming days.”
Regarding the Cypriot authorities, the student says she has not received any personal contact from either the Embassy of Cyprus in Paris or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘I’ve never seen this level of anger’
Constantinos Zachariou has lived in the French capital for seven years.
He first arrived in Paris for his undergraduate studies and is now pursuing postgraduate studies in international law.
During that time he has experienced numerous protests and periods of social tension, but says the events of recent weeks have been particularly troubling.
“I’ve lived through demonstrations and unrest in France before. What we are seeing now is different. There is tremendous tension and, above all, an anger that I don’t know where it may lead.”
What strikes him most is both the scale of the mobilisation and the diversity of those taking part.
According to Zachariou, the protests began among school students and then expanded, bringing together people ranging from teenagers to pensioners.
“That is what worries me most, because this is not a reaction that will necessarily disappear overnight.”
He believes the culture of protest is much stronger in France than in Cyprus.
Based on his daily experiences and conversations with fellow students, he says public dissatisfaction has not diminished despite the relative calm of recent days.
He is particularly concerned by reports of young people participating in violent incidents.
According to Zachariou, videos circulating among students on TikTok and other social media platforms allegedly show individuals being recognised by acquaintances while taking part in looting.
He emphasised that these are accounts being shared among students and not incidents he has independently verified.
Memories of the pandemic
The heavy police presence, restrictions on demonstrations and limits on movement in certain areas have also revived difficult memories of the Covid-19 period.
“When you see police officers everywhere again and hear about restrictions on movement, you can’t help but remember the coronavirus period. It was a very difficult time for those of us living here and personally I wouldn’t want to go through something similar again.”
Despite the relative calm of the past few days, Zachariou does not believe the situation has been fully resolved.
What concerns him is not only the possibility of new unrest but also the persistence of the frustration that brought so many people onto the streets in the first place.
“I see it among people I know and among fellow students. They are still angry with the government and they don’t believe anything has changed after Saturday’s events. Knowing how the French operate as a people, I don’t believe this is over.”
