France: Rainbow pedestrian crossings 'will be permanent!', Paris mayor says

Wikinews
7 July 2018

On Wednesday, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo announced via Twitter that the rainbow-coloured crossings in the French capital are to be made permanent. This move comes after multiple vandalisations of rainbow-coloured crossroads during this year's Paris Pride.

Hidalgo tweeted, saying, "Paris is a city of refuge that embraces Republican values of freedom, equality and fraternity. In order for these values to be recorded forever, the rainbow pedestrian crossings created for Gay Pride will be permanent!" ((fr))

The crossings were installed on June 14, and later, they were vandalised with the words written "LGBT dictatorship" ((fr)), "LGBT out of France" ((fr)) and "Hidalgo go away" ((fr)). That time, Hidalgo said, "This act of homophobia won't go unpunished." ((fr))

After the vandalism, French politician Jean-Luc Romero said, "Anti-LGBTQI hatred struck at the heart of Paris. Our answer is Saturday when hundreds of thousands of people will parade for the Pride Walk!" This year's Paris Pride took place on June 30.

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