iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Yes, very thought provoking. Interesting style too

010

There has been violence on both sides with schools vandalised and teachers attacked. But also some genuinely shocking behaviour by the police towards the 15-18-year-old pupils, most of whom are protesting peacefully

020

BREAKING: Up to 500 French schools to be totally or partly closed Monday: minister

More on the protests, which began as calls for better funding and resources for schools. Lycée pupils tell of a lack of teachers or resources, and classrooms that are freezing in winter and stifling in summer www.thelocal.fr/20261004/bre...

thelocal.fr

Up to 500 schools across France will be totally or partly closed on Monday due to the protests by teenage pupils that have shaken the country, the education minister said.

110

French lycée student protests show no sign of slowing with 500 schools expected to be closed tomorrow. Here the local authority asks us not to leave out bulky waste (in case it is set on fire/used to create barricades)

Message reads, in French, due to lycée protests and for safety reasons, please do not leave bulky waste on the street on Sunday evening or Monday morning

121

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Sadly I am not surprised by that. Not nice fof your lad though, hope he's OK bsky.app/profile/math...

010

I have plans to see that tomorrow! I've heard good things

110

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Can we get this for people who incessantly check their phone while in the cinema?

250

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I absolutely love the very specific art of French protest signs. From puns to song titles via fuck jokes, these are poetry in their own way . . .

Sign reads - Macron BZ ta prof pas les autres

Sign reads - La jeunesse emmerde le R-haine

142

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It's October 2nd and I've just killed a mosquito in my office

3102

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I seem to be getting an increasing number of emails/comments saying 'How dare you refer to Marine Le Pen's party as far right' - so for the avoidance of doubt, here is The Local's policy on naming French political parties

text reads - We refer to two French political parties as far right - Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National and Eric Zemmour's Reconquête, because these are the two parties furthest to the right of the political spectrum in France.

The rest of the parties we refer to as, variously, right-wing, centre right, centrist, centre-left, far left, hard left.

The reason that we include the indicator of where on the political spectrum each party sits is that the majority of our readers are not French and are therefore not as familiar with the names of the parties and what they represent. French media tend to merely refer to the parties by names or initials - eg RN, PS, LFI - or sometimes even by nicknames such as les insoumises or macronist/lepennist.

They're aiming at a French readership who are much more familiar with these parties, but for our readers we believe it is helpful to add a short indicator of where the party sits on the political spectrum, as well as its name.

3173

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

There are some genuine grievances at lycées and old gits like me are always moaning that the kids these days are stuck on their screens all day, so I think it's great to see them out and about and engaging in politics and activism!

010

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Kids are out this morning blockading the local lycée, with Thursday declared 'act 2' of student mobilisation

Group of teenagers in front of the entrance to a school - bins are piled up to create a blockade

250

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Here in the Paris suburbs we're apparently writing poems about AI . . . which is least wastes less water

A poem written on a billboard. It reads

I work in a bullshit job
I consume to fill the void
I waste, my children will have nothing
I don't think AI works for me
Pursuit of profit or pursuit of life?
Generative AI or regenerative collective intelligence?

020

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Being a Paris resident visiting other French towns is mainly waiting at the pedestrian crossing to see if cars will stop for you and being amazed that 100% of the time, they do

2171

I am! What a cool place, entirely excellent vibes 😊

110

I also conclude that Nantes is very proud of both LU biscuits and this joke . . .

Postcard saying 'Nantes, lu et approuvé' (read and approved), the phrase you must write on each page of a French contract that you are singing- but here also a pun on LU biscuits

081

I'd say the elephant is very in keeping with Nantes' overall vibe of 'delightful and a little bit weird'

Weird piece of street art - a pink figure on top of a building, arms reaching down into creeper plant that covers the lower half of the wall

260

Rim-Sarah Alouane, Ph.D. @rim-sarah.eurosky.social · 24/09/2026

Simply impossible to dislike a town that creates an enormous and beautiful mechanical elephant to walk around spraying water at people ❤️

Two storey high wooden elephant, with people riding on 2 observation decks, with a mechanic propulsion

7171

Reposted by Emma Pearson

I shared insights for @thelocalfrance.bsky.social podcast about what the French election campaign, the the far-right and what could it means for immigrants and minority communities in France. shows.acast.com/62220755dea7...

shows.acast.com

French fuel prices risk autumn unrest and the real danger posed by Le Pen | Talking France

Plus will competition result in cheaper train tickets in France?

032

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Nantes history museum is an outstanding example of how to engage with the less savoury parts of one's history (like having been France's biggest slave trading port). Alongside historic artefacts and descriptions of the 🇫🇷 slave trade are works from modern artists dealing with postcolonial themes

Historic woman's silk gown, likely bought with the profits of the slave trade. In the background is a piece of modern art showing an enslaved woman

Portrait of a Nantes ship captain with a young black boy, likely a slave

Omar Victor Diop portrait of a black man in a white robe and turban, holding a football

050

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Do I have any followers who are more au fait than me with aristo guide etiquette? 👇

310

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Duc himself puts on the powdered wig and silk stockings? I always thought those people were hard-up drama students! Er, no idea on tipping protocol. If I had to guess I'd say no . . .

230

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Was last here 2 years ago during the Paris Olympics, this week part of the Athletes' Village relaunched as the Cité du Cinema, a very cool film, music and entertainment space

091

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I've walked past the incredible Oscar Niemeyer building that houses the French Communist Party so many times, but today (thanks to #JournéesduPatrimoine) I got to see the inside - it did not disappoint

Exterior building. A large white dome with a wave shaped building made of glass behind

Modern piece of art, colour blocks in yellow and brown

Interior windows, white shaped like a spaceship with green velvet walls

0181

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This week I saw in the wild (in a news headline) a 'Poudre de Perlimpinpin', so obviously I am listening again to the 2017 Emmanuel Macron rap

youtube.com

LA POUDRE DE PERLIMPINPIN (REMIX) - VERSION FINALE

YouTube video by Khaled Freak

142

Emma Pearson @emmapearson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

New podcast episode! 🇫🇷 What Le Pen's 'French preference' policy really means for foreigners in France, and is it even legal? 🇫🇷 The mystery saboteurs who derailed the Normandy train 🇫🇷 Why French schools do so badly on international rankings 🇫🇷 France's Oscar picks

pod.fo

Talking France: Could France really favour the French over foreigners and who derailed the Normandy train?

This week we dig into one of Marine Le Pen's contentious proposals and find out whether the far right leader would actually be able to favour French citizens over foreign national residents if she ...

0113

Reposted by Emma Pearson

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

a) hurray for multilingualism, for language learning, and for people willing to have a go in languages they are learning! 2) for those mocking, his french is about the same level as the UK's last ambassador to france

1102

The application acceptance was super speedy, but from the appointment to give fingerprints to the RDV to collect card was 7 months, and required a few emails. (I always feel bad complaining about Seine-Saint-Denis préfecture, the staff are very nice and clearly just insanely under-resourced)

120

Just realised that the issue date on my new carte de séjour is the exact date that I emailed to say (in very polite and formal French, obvs) 'where the HELL is my card, I gave you fingerprints 6 months ago, how long can it take to press print??'. Guess they did read it, after all

480

After a brief foray onto X (need a shower now) I can confirm that the Gilets Jaunes have fully embraced AI slop

001