Protests and violence now go hand in hand in France. It wasn’t always like this | CNN
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Lucas Petit was just 11 when hundreds of thousands of men and women wearing yellow vests poured onto the streets and occupied roundabouts across France in November 2018. Now 19, he belongs to a generation for whom tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and stun grenades are par for the course when protesting.
A protester stands in the smoke at Place de l'Opera in Lille, northern France, during demonstrations on October 17.
Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images
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Lucas Petit was just 11 when hundreds of thousands of men and women wearing yellow vests poured onto the streets and occupied roundabouts across France in November 2018.
His memories are hazy, though stories of clashes with police left a lasting impression. If he ever joined a demonstration, he knew what to expect.
“It helped shape this whole collective image of a violent protest,” he told CNN.
