An American in Paris, carrying the flag, celebrates Barack
Obama's inauguration at the Hotel de Ville in Paris, Jan. 20.
Liberation, France
'Soirees' Across Paris Celebrate Inauguration
In Paris, too,
we celebrated the inauguration of American President Obama. Several soirees
were held in all four corners of the capital, in very different styles.
France
- Liberation - Original Article (French)
On the Quai de Valmy, in working-class eastern Paris, Manou, organizer of the soiree Bizz'art
at the Opus Café, found the lines forming before the doors were open. It was
afternoon snack time. "It's the kind of event that people want to share"
she clarifies. Three hours later, the ceremony is over, and the speeches as well, and the
broadcast has given way to a concert and the place is still full to bursting.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
At the other end
of Paris right downtown, in a night club called the VIP Room, it's the same
thing. The-Inter Ministerial Delegation for Equal Opportunity for French Abroad
and the organization called SOS Racisme were
accepting guests via a simple sign-in form on their Web site. The electronic
ticket window had to close by early afternoon. And again, there were people
waiting on the sidewalk as early as 4:30pm. The speech just ended with a huge
crowd listening in a block of solid heat, tightly packed in the club's basement
which wasn't exactly built for it. There are many Afro-Caribbeans,
a rather happy atmosphere and also some hopes that weren't entirely fulfilled.
"I hoped for a better
speech, more Kennedyesque," said a young man
extracting himself from the crowd. "perhaps it's the translation that does
that …"
French newspapers, January 21, 2009
FEW YOUNG PEOPLE, FEW
BLACKS
On the other hand, the original
English-language version was watched in the drawing rooms of the Hotel de Ville [Paris' city hall, photo, below]. On giant screens, it was CNN. Below the gilding and frescoes
were the Americans of Paris. Not all, obviously, given that there are about 100,000
of them, as a woman from the U.S. Embassy explained. This group, as well as delegations
from Democrats and Republicans abroad, and the town council of Paris, drew up
lists of those lucky enough to be allowed to access to the steps of honor, the
drawing rooms of honor and all that nineteenth century decorum, saying "Ooooh!" Which is what the Parisians
do too, when they come for the Nuit blanche
[the annual all-night cultural festival started in Paris by Mayor Bertrand
Delanoë in 2002 
].
How did they sort this out? The Embassy sorted through representatives of
various Franco-American associations and organizations. Anne-Marie Mattson, vice
president of Democrats in Paris who was dressed up in the colors of the flag, did
the best she could, "We had many more people than space!"
Watching the Obama inauguration at the Hotel de Ville, also
known as Paris City Hall, Jan. 20.
The great hall is nearly full.
Not many young people, not many blacks: the crowd reflects the vetting method. Some
of the women are dressed to the nines. One couple sports, not without courage,
Republican elephant lapel pins. They aren't the ones who applaud the loudest,
but they're there and are good sports. You see, however, more of those enormous
pro-Obama badges. When Dick Cheney, former vice president under Bush, appears
on the screen, the boos erupt. When it's Obama, the screaming and applause rise.
In person, Mayor of Paris Bertrand
Delanoë has no trouble getting wild applause with "Long
Live President Obama." The screen comes back on and Pastor Warren is
listened to politely. Aretha Franklin sings, silence reigns and a woman cries. When Barack Obama is sworn in, they fall into each
others arms. "The want to share," as Manou
was saying on the other side of Paris.
CLICK HERE FOR FRENCH
VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
January 23, 8:00pm]
