French Prostitutes March Against Ban on Soliciting

[Rick Munroe]

There goes my trip to Paris.

 

http://nytimes.com/2002/11/05/international/05WIRE-FRANCE.html

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

Rick,

 

When I click on your link it sends me to a registration page. Is there a way you can copy and paste the article?

 

Thanks.

 

V D N

 

>There goes my trip to Paris.

>

>http://nytimes.com/2002/11/05/international/05WIRE-FRANCE.html

 

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"Beware of the the devil my child in the dark rocky places he'll keep. Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways. You'll fall under a spell just looking at his beautiful face. You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside."

~ Natalie Merchant ~

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[Rick Munroe]

Here it is (btw, it's easy to register for the NY Times online & it's free):

 

French Prostitutes March Against Ban on Soliciting

By REUTERS

 

ARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of masked prostitutes marched on the French Senate on Tuesday to protest against a government plan to create the crime of "passive soliciting," which could have them jailed just for standing in the street.

 

"Six months in jail for a smile!" read one banner held up in the crowd of women, many of whom donned Halloween masks or sunglasses and head scarves to hide their identity.

 

The law, part of the conservative government's crime crackdown, would also allow authorities to confiscate the residence permits of foreign prostitutes.

 

More than half of France's 15,000 to 18,000 prostitutes are foreigners, mostly from eastern Europe and France's former African colonies. The bill promises leniency for foreign street-walkers who denounce or testify against their pimps.

 

"How can you expect prostitutes to denounce people who threaten their families? If they are made into criminals, they'll need their pimps more than ever," said Corinne Monnet, of the Lyon-based association Cabiria, which defends the interests of prostitutes.

 

Prostitutes fear the legislation will force them to conduct their activities secretly and quickly, making them more vulnerable to violence and forcing them to accept clients who refuse to use condoms.

 

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's sweeping bill has come under fire from human rights groups as dangerous and repressive for giving police new powers to pursue suspects, cracking down on beggars and toughening sentences for teenage offenders.

 

Some of the marchers chanted slogans teasing Sarkozy, such as: "Instead of a ban, let's have some fun."

 

A centre-right alliance behind President Jacques Chirac won parliamentary elections in June on pledges to fight crime.

 

Although the bill has yet to be examined by parliament, Sarkozy's crusade has already had an effect.

 

Pamela, a 35-year-old mother of two from Ivory Coast, said the prospect of the tough new law had cut her nightly take from about 150 euros (dollars) down to as low as 20 euros a night.

 

"The clients are afraid," said Pamela, who works out of her small van in the Bois de Vincennes in eastern Paris. She said she also had to put up with traffic police towing the van away two or three times a week.

 

Public prosecutors in the southwestern city of Bordeaux created a legal precedent last month by convicting four clients of prostitutes on charges of "sexual exhibitionism" after they were caught having sex in their cars.

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

Rick,

 

>ARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of masked prostitutes

>marched on the French Senate on Tuesday to protest against a

>government plan to create the crime of "passive soliciting,"

>which could have them jailed just for standing in the

>street.

 

I am quite sure the lawmakers behind this proposed law use "out of town" visitors for fun. They are hypocrites. What they really need to focus on is their bread and coffee in that country. Now THAT is a crime.

 

By the way, if you joined the protesters what kind of mask would you wear?

 

V D N

}>

[Rick Munroe]

RE: French Prostitutes March

 

>By the way, if you joined the protesters what kind of mask would you wear?

 

http://www.rentboy.com/rbs/1551/tnails/1551_2.jpg

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

RE: French Prostitutes March

 

>>By the way, if you joined the protesters what kind of mask would you wear?

>

>http://www.rentboy.com/rbs/1551/tnails/1551_2.jpg

 

That is one mask I would love to wear!