PETALING JAYA: From disrupted Metro services to unexpected road closures, Malaysians in Paris have shared their experiences navigating the city amid protests that affected parts of the French capital.
A Threads user with the handle ozelzaenal7 shared his account of being caught right in the middle of the Paris riots as they happened.
“We were travelling by car earlier and saw there was a clear route. It turns out that the clear route was the path for the protests,” he said in a video uploaded to his account.
“Upon entering one of the lanes, we were stopped and told not to move.
“We were stuck and had to stay there until the road was clear,” he said, adding that first responders also arrived in droves.
A user by the handle ellirahim said bus and Metro services were disrupted across several locations.
The user also said it was advisable to avoid areas such as Place de La Bastille and Place de La Republique.
Another user, farajamill, also posted updates of the situation as it unfolded before her eyes.
“They were really protesting! There were damaged properties and looting at stores,” she said in a post which was accompanied by a video of the incident.
In a later post, farajamill said the situation had since eased.
Threads user kekhalid also said the situation had improved, adding that demonstrations usually last for a day.
“Everything goes back to normal after that. We also had three walking trips in Paris at the time of the riot and thankfully everything went smoothly.
“There was even one group who had to walk up to 30,000 steps due to the Metro being closed,” he said.
The user also shared that there were pockets of small riots in the Republique, Canal St Martin and Chatelet areas.
“All tourist spots are fine,” he added.
This comes as large-scale riots and protests have swept several European countries, resulting in violent clashes in major cities including Paris and Milan.
In France, the protests were reportedly triggered over education and the cost of living while in Milan, the demonstrations were against wars and rising living costs.
