Tufts students studying abroad in Paris this fall have had more to worry about than eating too much cheese. On Oct. 27, riots began in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, and after ten days of continued unrest in various cities throughout France, the violence reached the capital on Nov. 5.
The rioting originally exploded in response to the accidental electrocution deaths of two teenagers of African descent, who had climbed a power station fence while running away from police officers.
But over the course of the next few weeks, the riots - evolving into a violent protest against poverty and unemployment among immigrant and Muslim communities in France - spread across the country.
Before the violence mostly abated in mid-November, thousands of people took to the streets, engaging in acts of vandalism and setting ablaze more than 8,000 cars. The rioters also turned their anger towards public places including schools, a cultural center and a youth hostel, setting them on fire in an effort to gain the attention of the national government.
The French government initially reacted by declaring a 12-day state of emergency and authorizing local authorities to deport any foreigners convicted of involvement in the riots. On Nov. 19, that state of emergency was extended to include the next three months.
Tufts has made no move to evacuate students from Paris or to discourage students enrolled to study abroad in France next semester from continuing with their plans.
Sheila Bayne, Tufts Associate Dean of Programs Abroad, said that the Programs Abroad Office "keeps track of safety and security information in all locations where our programs are situated."
That safety and security information, she added, comes "from a variety of sources, including the U.S. State Department, major news sources, International SOS (Worldwide Emergency Medical Services), our own Resident Directors overseas, and the study-abroad professional community."
Taking into account information obtained from these sources, Bayne and the Programs Abroad office recommended that students continue with their semester and simply exercise appropriate caution.
In an e-mail sent to all Tufts in Paris (TIP) students, Bayne and TIP Resident Director Monique Fecteau responded to concerns about the riots: "Without worrying unnecessarily, you should take reasonable precautions in your daily life, just as any resident of Paris would do at the present time."
The e-mail also reiterated basic guidelines for staying safe while abroad - guidelines that all students learn during their pre-departure orientation: "Avoid all demonstrations. If you encounter a demonstration find an alternate route. Avoid congregating in groups of Americans and spending time in bars and restaurants frequented by foreigners. Refrain from conspicuously American dress and behavior. Keep abreast of the news and avoid risky areas."
But Bayne also encourages students to continue with their normal daily activities and enjoy the rest of their semester in Paris.
"To date, no parents or students have expressed concerns about safety," she added.
That doesn't mean, however, that parents haven't felt the impact of having a child in Paris during recent weeks. Tufts junior Meghan Fenzel, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, said that her mother reacted strongly to news of unrest and violence in France.
"[My mom] was completely sucked in by the media sensationalism and wrote me new worried e-mails everyday. It took a lot to reassure her that I was not in danger," Fenzel said.
Fenzel was also concerned about the violence in Paris. Her concern was compounded by the fact that controversial French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy - who pushed for a strong crackdown on rioters - lives in the same neighborhood as her host family, increasing the chances of the area becoming a target.
"I was pretty nervous to take the metro and stay out after dark, assuming that the violence would come to my area," Fenzel said. "But then I realized absolutely nothing was different in my daily life."
Fenzel said that the violence has had little effect on Tufts students studying abroad, who are generally placed with relatively wealthy Parisian families in safe neighborhoods.
Senior Sarah Morrison-Cohen, who spent last spring in Paris, agreed with Fenzel's assessment and said she would still want to go to Paris if given another opportunity.
"The rioting was mostly outside the city in neighborhoods where we would never go. It's just not where you spend your time as a study abroad student," Morrison-Cohen said.
While the riots drew international attention to some of the issues affecting impoverished immigrants in France, they were felt most dramatically within the immigrants' own communities.
"It's pretty twisted and sad that these kids were destroying their own neighborhoods, burning the cars that some of their parents drove to work, destroying their little siblings' day care centers, while most Parisians went on with their lives, completely unaffected," Fenzel said.
In fact, although living in Paris in relatively close proximity to the rioting, Fenzel was unaware of the first outbursts of violence.
"It took about four days for me to even realize the riots were going on, and I found out from American news sources," Fenzel said. "American media made a much bigger deal of the situation than French media, to the point that it annoyed French people I spoke with."
Senior Shaina Tofias, a former participant in the TIP program, received an e-mail last week from her home-stay sister, Antonine De Fermor, a French police officer. In the e-mail - which was written in French and translated into English by Tofias - De Fermor echoed Fenzel's observation.
"It's not a war here like they say in the papers and on television," De Fermor wrote. She also said that the recent events have been trying for the Paris police force: "I assure you everything's fine, but work as a police officer was difficult for a few days."
Tofias still remembers her semester in Paris fondly. "I feel confident that it's not as bad as the papers are saying," she said. "I would still go."
