Like most, I was appalled at watching the scenes of one of France's best known landmarks being gutted by flames.
Ive had the good fortune to visit it many years ago and I hope again to so once it is restored.
Of all the capital cities Paris is to many, one of the most endearing from a historical, cultural and architectural perspective.
However, all is not well in the city of lights and further afield in France. After the ghetto riots in 2005 which stretched emergency services to the limit resulting in a state of emergency, France has been subjected to some horrific terrorists and remains on alert.
Futhermore the emergence of the 'Yellow Vest' protests which has brought the center of Paris to a standstill on many occasions, resulting in deaths and the destruction of property illustrates the bubbling civil unrest occurring in France at this time.
So watching the awful pictures of Notre Dame I was somewhat struck by commentary on Sky News that said (as the flames were engulfing the cathedral) that emergency services believe the fire started due to an accident and were ruling out arson. I thought this peculiar as my understanding is that in a fire emergency priority is given to getting the fire under control and quenching it, thereafter, an investigation into how the fire started can commence. Ordinarily, I would just shrug my shoulders and move on, but considering the social upheaval in France in recent times, I remained somewhat sceptical of this reporting.
So it didn't take long to find this article about Catholic churches being desecrated in France.
https://www.newsweek.com/spate-atta...-sees-altars-desecrated-christ-statue-1370800
This is an alarming state of affairs if accurate, and while in no way can be automatically linked to the burning of Notre Dame, it does go someway, in my opinion, to explaining why the news reporting was eager to downplay the prospect of arson before an investigation could actually take place.
France is not in good place at this time. In a time of violent protests triggered by increasing taxes on the working and middle-class, it must be galling for those protesters to hear reports of €700-€900m being raised, not from public finances, but from private wealthy donors at the drop of a hat.
In my opinion, it is the lob-sided economic imbalance that concentrates too much wealth into the hands of too few that is ultimately the precursor of all social unrest, conflict and division.
Notre Dame, which was desecrated during the French revolution, will be a beacon for fundamental change in the social order of France and further afield.
Ive had the good fortune to visit it many years ago and I hope again to so once it is restored.
Of all the capital cities Paris is to many, one of the most endearing from a historical, cultural and architectural perspective.
However, all is not well in the city of lights and further afield in France. After the ghetto riots in 2005 which stretched emergency services to the limit resulting in a state of emergency, France has been subjected to some horrific terrorists and remains on alert.
Futhermore the emergence of the 'Yellow Vest' protests which has brought the center of Paris to a standstill on many occasions, resulting in deaths and the destruction of property illustrates the bubbling civil unrest occurring in France at this time.
So watching the awful pictures of Notre Dame I was somewhat struck by commentary on Sky News that said (as the flames were engulfing the cathedral) that emergency services believe the fire started due to an accident and were ruling out arson. I thought this peculiar as my understanding is that in a fire emergency priority is given to getting the fire under control and quenching it, thereafter, an investigation into how the fire started can commence. Ordinarily, I would just shrug my shoulders and move on, but considering the social upheaval in France in recent times, I remained somewhat sceptical of this reporting.
So it didn't take long to find this article about Catholic churches being desecrated in France.
https://www.newsweek.com/spate-atta...-sees-altars-desecrated-christ-statue-1370800
This is an alarming state of affairs if accurate, and while in no way can be automatically linked to the burning of Notre Dame, it does go someway, in my opinion, to explaining why the news reporting was eager to downplay the prospect of arson before an investigation could actually take place.
France is not in good place at this time. In a time of violent protests triggered by increasing taxes on the working and middle-class, it must be galling for those protesters to hear reports of €700-€900m being raised, not from public finances, but from private wealthy donors at the drop of a hat.
In my opinion, it is the lob-sided economic imbalance that concentrates too much wealth into the hands of too few that is ultimately the precursor of all social unrest, conflict and division.
Notre Dame, which was desecrated during the French revolution, will be a beacon for fundamental change in the social order of France and further afield.