There's nothing particularly "french" about this...walk 3 streets outside your DC office into the neighboring slums and you will find the exact same mentality.
uhhhh there are not violent protests with schools on fire.... protesting and lighting stuff on fire (or dumping manure) is a very very French thing. They love a good ol protest against their government; it's practically a yearly tradition
There's nothing particularly "french" about this...walk 3 streets outside your DC office into the neighboring slums and you will find the exact same mentality.