"Black Block" anarchists take over a protest on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris.

As a press photographer, I had a plunging view of the action from the balcony of an apartment in rue de l'Universite, which is regularly used as a stronghold base by the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité "CRS", the French specialised riot police. It was one of Paris' regular, well-choreographed dances between tough militarised police, the general public and a lunatic fringe of anarchists, who attach themselves to legitimate protests and turn them into medieval street battles. All begins quietly, the temperature rises and the CRS accept increasing abuse, until the Black Blocks intervene with their violence and destruction of the surrounding street furniture and property. Injuries occur on both sides and then all subsides and everyone goes home. Within the space of a few hours, a quiet street becomes and urban war zone and then reverts to normal. "C'est la France"!