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French Statue of Liberty Replica Torched
3/26/2003

Posted on 03/26/2003 10:21:20 AM PST by Nouge

BORDEAUX, France - Vandals in this southwest Bordeaux torched a replica of the Statue of Liberty and cracked the pedestal of a plaque honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The crowned head of the 8-foot-tall statue was blackened by fire and its eyes were marked with red paint, apparently to symbolize tears of blood, an official at the mayor's office said.

The statue and the Sept. 11 plaque are beside each other in a square near the city center.

The mayor of the southwestern city, Alain Juppe, condemned Wednesday's pre-dawn attack, saying the statue's message is especially pertinent in wartime.

"At a time when the world is living a major conflict, it is more important than ever to remain watchful of the values of peace and liberty," said Juppe, a former prime minister.

The Lady Liberty standing in New York Harbor was a gift from France to the United States commemorating freedom and friendship between the nations. It was made by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated in 1886.

Today, tensions between France and the United States have flared over the war in Iraq (news - web sites). French people overwhelmingly oppose the U.S.-led conflict and President Jacques Chirac angered many Americans by trying to slow the U.S. drive to war.

In France, vandals have ransacked McDonald's restaurants in Paris and Strasbourg, targeting the fast food chain as a symbol of American influence.

Cafeterias in the U.S. House of Representatives subsequently changed their menus to read "freedom fries" instead of French fries and "freedom toast" instead of French toast.

Lawmakers also introduced bills preventing France from participating in any postwar reconstruction projects.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 911; french; memorialdesecration; statueofliberty
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1 posted on 03/26/2003 10:21:20 AM PST by Nouge
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To: Nouge
Ahhh... Love them French.
2 posted on 03/26/2003 10:22:42 AM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
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To: Nouge
cracked the pedestal of a plaque honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks

The Statue of Liberty thing didn't surprise me, but this was a low blow.

Hate the French.

3 posted on 03/26/2003 10:23:18 AM PST by wideawake (Support our troops and their Commander-in-Chief)
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To: Nouge
They were pro-9/11 all along.
4 posted on 03/26/2003 10:25:00 AM PST by EaglesUpForever (Ne messez pas avec le US)
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To: Nouge
Add the French to list of those who fall into the Hate Crime category.
5 posted on 03/26/2003 10:26:10 AM PST by trebb
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To: Nouge
Got this today via email:

March 4, 2003.

Today it was reported that a severe earthquakes have occurred in 10 different locations in France. The severity was measured in excess of 10 on the Richter Scale. The cause was the 56,681 dead American soldiers buried in French soil rolling over in their graves. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission there are 26,255 Yankee dead from World War I buried in 4 cemeteries in France. There are 30,426 American dead from World War II buried in 6 cemeteries in France. These 56,681 brave American heroes died in their youth to liberate a country which is guilty of shameful unspeakable behavior in the 21st century.

May the United States of America never forget their sacrifice as we find ways to forcefully deal with the Godforsaken unappreciative, forgetful country of France!

6 posted on 03/26/2003 10:28:12 AM PST by RetiredArmy
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To: Nouge
Keep it up France and we're gonna start getting upset.
7 posted on 03/26/2003 10:28:58 AM PST by biblewonk (Spose to be a Chrissssstian)
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To: Nouge
"At a time when the world is living a major conflict, it is more important than ever to remain watchful of the values of peace and liberty," said Juppe, a former prime minister...

Do you think this guy was even aware of the Iran/Iraq war when they were racking up KIAs like the numbers on a pinball machine? Now that was a major conflict. But who wants to spit on the Iranians? Getting in all high dungeon about the Americans, though, that's worth doing!

BTW, most of the world thought 9/11 was a good thing.

8 posted on 03/26/2003 10:31:15 AM PST by gridlock (And how many Divisions has Belgium? Fewer than the Pope, I would reckon.)
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To: Nouge
How long before they desecrate our cemetaries in Normandy? 75,000 white crosses tipped over... Gird thyselves.
9 posted on 03/26/2003 10:32:11 AM PST by Lexington Green
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To: smith288
France has been conquered by its 10% Muslim population.

Sharia law will be instituted within the next 10 years.

Problem is, they have nukes.
10 posted on 03/26/2003 10:32:16 AM PST by tomahawk
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To: Nouge
How brave. They didn't surrender to an inanimate object.
11 posted on 03/26/2003 10:32:43 AM PST by martin_fierro (But it's "Jackson" if you're nasty.)
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To: Nouge
French islamists at work.
12 posted on 03/26/2003 10:34:23 AM PST by TADSLOS (Sua Sponte)
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To: RetiredArmy
Re: Today it was reported that a severe earthquakes have occurred in 10 different locations in France. The severity was measured in excess of 10 on the Richter Scale. The cause was the 56,681 dead American soldiers buried in French soil rolling over in their graves. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission there are 26,255 Yankee dead from World War I buried in 4 cemeteries in France. There are 30,426 American dead from World War II buried in 6 cemeteries in France. These 56,681 brave American heroes died in their youth to liberate a country which is guilty of shameful unspeakable behavior in the 21st century.


13 posted on 03/26/2003 10:35:05 AM PST by sonofatpatcher2 (Love & a .45-- What more could you want, campers? };^)
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To: Nouge
Let's get our Normandy dead back home ASAP.

Ungrateful bastards.

14 posted on 03/26/2003 10:37:31 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: Nouge
Didn't we Accidentally drop a bomb or 2 on Iran a few days ago? I say we "accidentally" drop a few MOABs on france and then see how they feel about American arrogance.
15 posted on 03/26/2003 10:38:13 AM PST by SKIbone
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To: Nouge
"French people overwhelmingly oppose the U.S.-led conflict"

Well, we know the French socialist government overwhelmingly opposes the war, but where is the proof that the majority of French people feel the same way? And don't try to use the actions of a handful of belligerent anti-war/anti-US radicals to make your case.

Btw, I'm not trying to prop up the French. I think the US should boycott all French trade and tourism to teach their country--particularly their government--a lesson. But I suspect that the anti-US media is doing the same thing in France that they are trying to do here and elsewhere around the world: giving excessive news coverage to the anti-war protesters in order to portray the general population as being against this war.

16 posted on 03/26/2003 10:38:33 AM PST by SpyGuy
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To: TADSLOS
French islamists

Redundancy alert.

17 posted on 03/26/2003 10:39:51 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: Nouge
The next time that France needs us, and they will, I hope we have someone in the White House with enough guts and brains to tell them drop dead.
18 posted on 03/26/2003 10:40:47 AM PST by Paul Atreides
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To: Mr. Mojo
I consider it a double punch of truth.
19 posted on 03/26/2003 10:41:52 AM PST by TADSLOS (Sua Sponte)
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To: TADSLOS
Me too
20 posted on 03/26/2003 10:43:21 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
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