Leblanc Sends Warning to Demonstrators

[Lindsay]

Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators

NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
demonstrators against disrupting the race.

"I note that protests are more and more frequent and that demonstrators all want to use the Tour as
a platform," he said on the race rest day in Narbonne on Wednesday.

"The situation is not always clear as we're not always dealing with trade unions. If the aim is to
make a statement before the start or to hand out leaflets, there will be no problems," he said.

"If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee
anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.

Demonstrators demanding the release of jailed farmers union leader Jose Bove briefly held up the
race between Gap and Marseille on Tuesday before being dispersed by the police.

Updated on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2003 1:59 pm EDT

Lindsay
----------------------------
"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the
difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's
remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license."

P.J. O'Rourke

 

[S. Anderson]

"Lindsay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators
>
> NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
> demonstrators against disrupting the race.

<<snip..>>

> "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee
> anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.

<<snip..>>

Heehee..wonder what he means by this?? Does anybody know if these artists are employed by the
government? What do they do exactly?

Seriously curious,

Scott..

 

[Clovis Lark]

S. Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Lindsay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators
>>
>> NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
>> demonstrators against disrupting the race.

> <<snip..>>

>> "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee
>> anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.

> <<snip..>>

> Heehee..wonder what he means by this?? Does anybody know if these artists are employed by the
> government? What do they do exactly?

> Seriously curious,

Since you are: These are seasonal artists who are employed contractually to short term projects
(festivals, specific tours, etc.) by those organizations. When not so employed, they are out of
work. They have been able to collect unemployment compensation in the past when these opportunities
were not available that allowed them to continue focusing and refining their abilities as artists
with the hope of mainstream employment. For this reason, french aspiring artists with the technical
credentials have been able to keep table waiting and temporary office work to a minimum. Chirac want
s to curtail this. As a result the major french festivals of Avignon, Aix, etc are closed.
Businesses are hurting and support for these festivals' futures are in doubt. For the communities
who rely on this cultural tourism, this is a nightmare. Understandably, there is a great deal of
worry and concern.

> Scott..

 

[Edward Waffle]

Lindsay wrote in message ...
>
>Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to
>stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee anything. Security services will do their job and you
>know what I mean," he said.
>

Mass arrests?

Beatings with truncheons?

Rubber bullets?

Real bullets?

How do the French security services "do their job" in a case like this?

 

[Edward Waffle]

Clovis Lark wrote in message ...
>.As a result the major french festivals of Avignon, Aix, etc are closed.

It is not easy to understand the magnitude of these closing from the American side of the
Atlantic--or at least from the USA.

But they are important to both the cultural life and the economy of the regions affected. I would
have thought that the announcement of the cancellation for this year of the festivals would have
sent sufficient shock waves through the French cultural establishment that actions like blocking a
TdF stage would be unnecessary.

The bookkeeping nightmare of prepaid opera tickets, deposits on hotel rooms, etc. will be
significant, but the real problems include a lack of confidence in future years that the festivals
will go on as scheduled.

 

[David Ryan]

Clovis Lark wrote:
>
> S. Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "Lindsay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >>
> >> Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators
> >>
> >> NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
> >> demonstrators against disrupting the race.
>
> > <<snip..>>
>
> >> "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee
> >> anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.
>
> > <<snip..>>
>
> > Heehee..wonder what he means by this?? Does anybody know if these artists are employed by the
> > government? What do they do exactly?
>
> > Seriously curious,
>
> Since you are: These are seasonal artists who are employed contractually to short term projects
> (festivals, specific tours, etc.) by those organizations. When not so employed, they are out of
> work. They have been able to collect unemployment compensation in the past when these
> opportunities were not available that allowed them to continue focusing and refining their
> abilities as artists with the hope of mainstream employment. For this reason, french aspiring
> artists with the technical credentials have been able to keep table waiting and temporary office
> work to a minimum. Chirac want s to curtail this. As a result the major french festivals of
> Avignon, Aix, etc are closed. Businesses are hurting and support for these festivals' futures are
> in doubt. For the communities who rely on this cultural tourism, this is a nightmare.
> Understandably, there is a great deal of worry and concern.
>
> > Scott..

IOW, they can't deal with real life and want somebody else to pay their upkeep. When those other
people decide they aren't worth it and keep their money, they decide to demand they're owed a
living. The parasites should all starve and die (or get a job) and everyone else will be better off.
Good grief, the depths they've sunk to and the lousy attitude that's been engendered by years of
socialism and the sense of entitlement simply because they exist.

 

[Raptor]

Edward Waffle wrote:
> Lindsay wrote in message ...
>
>>Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to
>>stop the peloton, then we cannot guarantee anything. Security services will do their job and you
>>know what I mean," he said.
>>
>
>
> Mass arrests?
>
> Beatings with truncheons?
>
> Rubber bullets?
>
> Real bullets?
>
> How do the French security services "do their job" in a case like this?

"Efficiently." I've heard plenty of respect accorded French security services from various sources
over the years.

They bombed a Greenpeace ship in a New Zealand harbor once.

If there was a threat to a rider, the attackers will either have their **** together or they will be
eliminated with no interference to the race.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 05:29:23 GMT, Edward Waffle wrote:
> How do the French security services "do their job" in a case like this?

They will engage them in a existentialist debate on searching for lost time.

 

[Clovis Lark]

Edward Waffle <[email protected]> wrote:

> Clovis Lark wrote in message ...
>>.As a result the major french festivals of Avignon, Aix, etc are closed.

> It is not easy to understand the magnitude of these closing from the American side of the
> Atlantic--or at least from the USA.

> But they are important to both the cultural life and the economy of the regions affected. I would
> have thought that the announcement of the cancellation for this year of the festivals would have
> sent sufficient shock waves through the French cultural establishment that actions like blocking a
> TdF stage would be unnecessary.

The shock waves have forced Chirac's ministers to the bargaining table. However, they are still
playing hardball.

> The bookkeeping nightmare of prepaid opera tickets, deposits on hotel rooms, etc. will be
> significant, but the real problems include a lack of confidence in future years that the festivals
> will go on as scheduled.

And there is the huge loss of prepaying for operatic productions and star performers' fees,
performers who book years in advance and will certainly NOT be leaving open slots for
potential cancellations. Also surely going missing will be the orchestral musicians who ARE
year round players.

The strikers will also be looking for more security and begin seeking work elsewhere. It is a
serious calamity.

For bikers wondering about all of this and not realizing the impact, cancellation of these events is
pretty much the same impact as when Celestial Seasonings and Coors pulled the rug out of the Red
Zinger stage race and Trump abandoned the later called Tour DUpont. Once the sponsors fled (struck),
the race was impossible to organize and international riders and teams quickly looked elsewhere for
their events. As a result, there are no international cycling events here of stature.

 

[Clovis Lark]

David Ryan <[email protected]> wrote:
> Clovis Lark wrote:
>>
>> S. Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > "Lindsay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> >>
>> >> Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators
>> >>
>> >> NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
>> >> demonstrators against disrupting the race.
>>
>> > <<snip..>>
>>
>> >> "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot
>> >> guarantee anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.
>>
>> > <<snip..>>
>>
>> > Heehee..wonder what he means by this?? Does anybody know if these artists are employed by the
>> > government? What do they do exactly?
>>
>> > Seriously curious,
>>
>> Since you are: These are seasonal artists who are employed contractually to short term projects
>> (festivals, specific tours, etc.) by those organizations. When not so employed, they are out of
>> work. They have been able to collect unemployment compensation in the past when these
>> opportunities were not available that allowed them to continue focusing and refining their
>> abilities as artists with the hope of mainstream employment. For this reason, french aspiring
>> artists with the technical credentials have been able to keep table waiting and temporary office
>> work to a minimum. Chirac want s to curtail this. As a result the major french festivals of
>> Avignon, Aix, etc are closed. Businesses are hurting and support for these festivals' futures are
>> in doubt. For the communities who rely on this cultural tourism, this is a nightmare.
>> Understandably, there is a great deal of worry and concern.
>>
>> > Scott..

> IOW, they can't deal with real life and want somebody else to pay their upkeep. When those
> other people decide they aren't worth it and keep their money, they decide to demand they're
> owed a living.

Try and secure a better argument. When was the last time you supported a cultural institution?

> The parasites should all starve and die (or get a job) and everyone else will be better off. Good
> grief, the depths they've sunk to and the lousy attitude that's been engendered by years of
> socialism and the sense of entitlement simply because they exist.

How old are you?

 

[David Ryan]

Clovis Lark wrote:
>
> David Ryan <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Clovis Lark wrote:
> >>
> >> S. Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> > "Lindsay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > news:[email protected]...
> >> >>
> >> >> Tour Director Sends Warning to Demonstrators
> >> >>
> >> >> NARBONNE, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc on Wednesday warned
> >> >> demonstrators against disrupting the race.
> >>
> >> > <<snip..>>
> >>
> >> >> "If on the other hand people attack riders or try to stop the peloton, then we cannot
> >> >> guarantee anything. Security services will do their job and you know what I mean," he said.
> >>
> >> > <<snip..>>
> >>
> >> > Heehee..wonder what he means by this?? Does anybody know if these artists are employed by the
> >> > government? What do they do exactly?
> >>
> >> > Seriously curious,
> >>
> >> Since you are: These are seasonal artists who are employed contractually to short term projects
> >> (festivals, specific tours, etc.) by those organizations. When not so employed, they are out of
> >> work. They have been able to collect unemployment compensation in the past when these
> >> opportunities were not available that allowed them to continue focusing and refining their
> >> abilities as artists with the hope of mainstream employment. For this reason, french aspiring
> >> artists with the technical credentials have been able to keep table waiting and temporary
> >> office work to a minimum. Chirac want s to curtail this. As a result the major french festivals
> >> of Avignon, Aix, etc are closed. Businesses are hurting and support for these festivals'
> >> futures are in doubt. For the communities who rely on this cultural tourism, this is a
> >> nightmare. Understandably, there is a great deal of worry and concern.
> >>
> >> > Scott..
>
> > IOW, they can't deal with real life and want somebody else to pay their upkeep. When those other
> > people decide they aren't worth it and keep their money, they decide to demand they're owed a
> > living.
>
> Try and secure a better argument. When was the last time you supported a cultural institution?

It's a great argument if you haven't been dulled your whole life by socialist propaganda.

I support what I like and what interests me with my patronage. I expect others will voluntarily do
the same. I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called culture.
If people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture, now is it?

> > The parasites should all starve and die (or get a job) and everyone else will be better off.
> > Good grief, the depths they've sunk to and the lousy attitude that's been engendered by years of
> > socialism and the sense of entitlement simply because they exist.
>
> How old are you?

Looking for the ad hominem are we? What is your IQ? Sorry if that's the best you can do.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Try and secure a better argument. When was the last time you supported a cultural institution?
>
> It's a great argument if you haven't been dulled your whole life by socialist propaganda.
>
> I support what I like and what interests me with my patronage. I expect others will voluntarily
> do the same. I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called
> culture. If people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture,
> now is it?

Would you deny funding to The Washington Monument? The Smithsonian? Arlington? Library of Congress?

Taxpayer 'cultural' funding supports all of those.

 

[Bob]

"David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called culture. If
> people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture, now is it?

i suspect you'd rather have your tax dollars subsidize the military-industrial complex ... and the
oil sector ... and the timber industry ... and the so-called family farms (i.e. agrobusiness)etc ...
or do you voluntarily contribute to those as well?

 

[Top Sirloin]

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 18:24:08 GMT, "Kurgan Gringioni"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> > Try and secure a better argument. When was the last time you supported a cultural institution?
>>
>> It's a great argument if you haven't been dulled your whole life by socialist propaganda.
>>
>> I support what I like and what interests me with my patronage. I expect others will voluntarily
>> do the same. I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called
>> culture. If people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture,
>> now is it?
>
>
>
>Would you deny funding to The Washington Monument? The Smithsonian? Arlington? Library of Congress?

I hope you're not equating those with the works of individual artists for the purpose of
self-expression.

That's a HYOOOOOOGE reach. Really big.

--
Scott Johnson "Always with the excuses for small legs. People like you are why they only open the
top half of caskets." -Tommy Bowen

 

[David Ryan]

Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
>
> "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > > Try and secure a better argument. When was the last time you supported a cultural institution?
> >
> > It's a great argument if you haven't been dulled your whole life by socialist propaganda.
> >
> > I support what I like and what interests me with my patronage. I expect others will voluntarily
> > do the same. I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called
> > culture. If people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture,
> > now is it?
>
> Would you deny funding to The Washington Monument? The Smithsonian? Arlington? Library of
> Congress?
>
> Taxpayer 'cultural' funding supports all of those.

The Washington Monument was built with private donations. The Smithsonian was funded for many years
by Smithson's endowment from his will. The Statue of Liberty was built privately. Children raised
$500,000 in pennies to build the pedestal.

These things were not publicly funded until creeping socialism insinuated into politics accelerated
by the Depression.

Arlington was confiscated from Robert E. Lee to bury Union dead.

 

[David Ryan]

Bob wrote:
>
> "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called culture. If
> > people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture, now is it?
>
> i suspect you'd rather have your tax dollars subsidize the military-industrial complex ... and the
> oil sector ... and the timber industry ... and the so-called family farms (i.e. agrobusiness)etc
> ... or do you voluntarily contribute to those as well?

I agree with everything you said except the first. At its essence the government is the military and
police. I am not an anarchist. But every transfer from me to someone else is theft.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

>
> The Washington Monument was built with private donations. The Smithsonian was funded for many
> years by Smithson's endowment from his will. The Statue of Liberty was built privately. Children
> raised $500,000 in pennies to build the pedestal.
>
> These things were not publicly funded until creeping socialism insinuated into politics
> accelerated by the Depression.
>
> Arlington was confiscated from Robert E. Lee to bury Union dead.

The Federal Government pays to maintain all of those.

Money is being taken out of my pocket to support those, at gunpoint. I protest!

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Bob wrote:
> >
> > "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > > I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called culture. If
> > > people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture, now is it?
> >
> > i suspect you'd rather have your tax dollars subsidize the military-industrial complex ... and
> > the oil sector ... and the timber industry ... and the so-called family farms (i.e.
> > agrobusiness)etc ...
or do
> > you voluntarily contribute to those as well?
>
> I agree with everything you said except the first. At its essence the government is the military
> and police. I am not an anarchist. But every transfer from me to someone else is theft.

Building roads. I don't get that contract. Theft. Sewers - someone else gets that contract. Theft.
Water projects. I don't get those contracts either. Theft.

OTOH, at least those contracts go out to bid.

No-bid contracts in Iraq. Now, that is theft.

 

[David Ryan]

Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
>
> "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> >
> > The Washington Monument was built with private donations. The Smithsonian was funded for many
> > years by Smithson's endowment from his will. The Statue of Liberty was built privately. Children
> > raised $500,000 in pennies to build the pedestal.
> >
> > These things were not publicly funded until creeping socialism insinuated into politics
> > accelerated by the Depression.
> >
> > Arlington was confiscated from Robert E. Lee to bury Union dead.
>
> The Federal Government pays to maintain all of those.
>
> Money is being taken out of my pocket to support those, at gunpoint. I protest!

Exactly. There is no reason that attractions that draw as many people as those do should need
government subsidies. Except Arlington, which is part of the cost of war.

 

[David Ryan]

Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
>
> "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Bob wrote:
> > >
> > > "David Ryan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > >
> > > > I object to money being taken at gunpoint for others' pet projects and so-called culture. If
> > > > people don't care enough to voluntarily support it, it isn't really their culture, now is
> > > > it?
> > >
> > > i suspect you'd rather have your tax dollars subsidize the military-industrial complex ... and
> > > the oil sector ... and the timber industry ... and the so-called family farms (i.e.
> > > agrobusiness)etc ...
> or do
> > > you voluntarily contribute to those as well?
> >
> > I agree with everything you said except the first. At its essence the government is the military
> > and police. I am not an anarchist. But every transfer from me to someone else is theft.
>
> Building roads. I don't get that contract. Theft. Sewers - someone else gets that contract. Theft.
> Water projects. I don't get those contracts either. Theft.
>
> OTOH, at least those contracts go out to bid.
>
> No-bid contracts in Iraq. Now, that is theft.

Interestingly, a recent major reconstruction project - the highways destroyed in the Loma Prieta
earthquake - set records for efficiency and finishing ahead of schedule and was all contracted on a
no-bid basis. It shows what has been done to the bidding process with union this and minority that
regulations.