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| Europe |
| French protest English colonialists |
| 2005-02-20 |
| Les peasants sont revoltinque! See - I could integrate, really je could. Breton villages protested yesterday against an "invasion" of Britons blamed for pushing up property prices and forcing out locals. Around 100 people took to the streets of Bourbriac and called on all "proud French natives" to express their anger at "colonisation". They demanded more low-cost housing, criticised estate agents for "market speculation" and set fire to piles of property magazines. The protest was part of a growing backlash against the increasing number of Britons moving to rural France. It came six months after hostility to settlers erupted with "Brits out" and "Anglais integres, oui. Colons, non!" [Integrated English, yes. Colonisers, no!] slogans daubed on walls in the village near the Armor coast. Bourbriac is now home to about 700 Britons, 100 Germans and Dutch, among a French population of 1,200. Maiwenne Salomon, one of the protest organisers, said the demonstration was not racist or xenophobic. "Our problem is not with the British in general, it's with the people who arrive here, who don't speak French, who don't mix, don't take part in the life of the community and who create Anglo-Saxon ghettos where they keep themselves to themselves," she said. "It's been complete madness over the last few years with foreigners, particularly the Anglo-Saxons, arriving in incredible numbers. "The result of this has been that property prices have rocketed in the whole of Britanny and Bretons themselves can't find anywhere to live, whether it's to rent or to buy." She said that the cost of buying a home had risen by up to 600 per cent. Still talking in francs, rather than euros, Mrs Salomon, added: "You used to be able to buy a small house which needed some work on it for around 50,000 francs [£5,000]. Now it's impossible to find anything - even if it needs completely renovating - for less than 300,000. "This has had a knock-on effect on properties for rent. Even if you could find somewhere, the monthly rent is far too high for most ordinary families to pay. "I've got friends living in caravans because they can't afford to live anywhere else." A census last year showed that about 100,000 Britons live in France. This figure does not include children or those owning holiday homes. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #12 Andrea, things are different with regard to welfare (which they call "social security") on the other side of the pond. The unemployment is so high anyway (on the order of 10% of those that are being counted) that in Germany most people do not graduate from university until they are well into their 30's, and most women never even try to hold a job. Social Security payments are enough to live comfortably -- not in subsidized poverty as in the States. Remember, too, that the Europeans are fond of their work/life [leisure] balance, which is much more tilted toward leisure, so too many are happy to join the leisured class without any effort. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-02-20 7:57:07 PM |
| #11 Barbara # 6 *Yawn* I call this a real eye opener. Welfare- most do NOT choose that path in life and for some it is a volition issue. Where are all these folk's going to? Homeless Shelter's? Andrea Jackson |
| Posted by: Andrea Jackson 2005-02-20 6:06:16 PM |
| #10 LOL Laurence! You got Met! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-20 11:05:12 AM |
| #9 Mrs Davis - If they don't have tornados then they will as soon as enough "caravan's" gather in one place. ;) |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-02-20 10:28:54 AM |
| #8 GK, Yes, I do read my son the Famous Five before bed, but the thought of a frog trailer park was just too good to ignore. Makes me wonder if they have tornados in frogland. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-02-20 10:13:52 AM |
| #7 #3. They should be so lucky,Mrs. D. "Caravan" is British for "travel trailer". But you probably already knew that. A very small European style trailer comes to mind. Our problem is .... with the people who arrive here, who don't speak Wanna trade? At least they're bringing money into the economy instead of exporting the currrency to their homeland. Have any signed up for welfare or free medical care yet? |
| Posted by: GK 2005-02-20 10:02:17 AM |
| #6 When they have the same protest in Paris against their hordes of un-integrated Muslim welfare cases. I'll show some interest. Until then, *yawn* |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-02-20 9:52:34 AM |
| #5 "Zay come in heer, wit' zere money and zere expensive cars, and zay don' talk Francais like zey should, and zay say t'ings like "Hey, Froggie! 'Avent you any arf-decent," er, how you say? "Poisson and Pommes Frites shoppes about, or is all you eat about here 'ese bloody snails and cheese? Sod that! Where can I get a pint?" TRES INTOLERABLE! English poopy-pants!" |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-02-20 9:29:37 AM |
| #4 Maiwenne(my-wennie),kinda says it all. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-02-20 9:28:47 AM |
| #3 Britons in Breton, sounds like a job for the Vowel Police. Is caravans frog for double-wide? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-02-20 8:08:04 AM |
| #2 They'll always have Paris. |
| Posted by: Rick Blaine 2005-02-20 8:03:23 AM |
| #1 "...it’s with the people who arrive here, who don’t speak French, who don’t mix, don’t take part in the life of the community and who create Anglo-Saxon ghettos where they keep themselves to themselves..." As an exercise, let's replace "Anglo-Saxon" with "Moslem" or "Arabic." Now how do you feel about them, Maiwenne? |
| Posted by: jackal 2005-02-20 7:55:20 AM |