West Chester residents Mark and Patty Miller ran into tear gas and shuttered landmarks when France's worst protest violence in years erupted during their Paris retirement trip.
The couple, who recently retired from GE Aerospace, arrived in Paris on a Friday after spending a year planning the vacation, WLWT first reported. Their itinerary included the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, but protests quickly forced changes.
"Police were firing tear gas canisters continually throughout that hour," Mark Miller told WLWT. "Then it cleared out."
Their Metro train was stopped multiple times, stranding them for 45 minutes. Several tourist sites, including the Louvre Museum, were closed or blocked by protesters, Miller said. He added that the couple did not feel personally targeted.
The unrest began with demonstrations against rising living costs and poor conditions in public schools, the Associated Press reported. Marches on Oct. 17 drew between 550,000 and 800,000 people nationwide, according to government and organizer estimates. Protesters answered calls from labor unions, student organizations and activists hoping to revive the "yellow vest" movement that emerged in 2018 to protest social injustice.
The marches spiraled into some of the worst violence France has seen in decades. French authorities arrested at least 2,400 people across the country. In Paris alone, police arrested 855 people. Authorities estimated at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted in several cities.
Paris police issued an overnight curfew on Oct. 19 covering the Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended police handling of the unrest, saying that "despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle." President Emmanuel Macron voiced the public's "anger" and "shame" over the destruction.
Miller advised other travelers to monitor conditions abroad and stay flexible.
"You have to know what you're getting yourself into and be prepared to make adjustments as you go," he said.
The couple planned to continue their trip with a visit to Barcelona, Spain.
