Update: Americans protest possible consulate closures across France
Rallies took place in Strasbourg, Lyon and Bordeaux on Friday (March 7)
“‘Serving and protecting’ also applies to Americans abroad,” and “Consulates make America great again,” could be read on signs at the protest in Strasbourg, as well as upside down flags, which have been used in recent US protests to symbolise a distress callAEU
American students, French students, high school pupils and retirees were among those who gathered before Strasbourg’s US consulate just after midday on Friday, protesting for about an hour.
“It was a great event,” said Vivianne Beller, the Vice President of Alsace Etats-Unis (AEU) and member of Americans in Alsace (AIA). “There were way more people than we had initially expected, with a lot of press and television coverage,” she added.
Further representatives from organisations including AEU, AIA, Democrats Abroad and Strasbourg Amities (a student exchange programme) were also present to demonstrate unity in defence of the city’s long standing French connections with the US.
“The consulate is our partner in these groups and activities - we invite them to events, they advise us, and we do the same. For us, it is not just an office that we go to when we need papers, it is much more,” Ms Beller told The Connexion.
“This was a lobbying effort and we aimed to keep it a fairly positive event. It was about drawing attention to the positives for business, for international relations, for the American population here in Strasbourg,” she added.
A banner-making workshop was organised on the morning before the protest to ensure attendees were well-armed with the tools to make their message clear.
“Consulates make America great again,” read one sign.
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“‘Serving and protecting’ also applies to Americans abroad,” stated another.
One woman wrote, “Old friends matter,” surrounded by sketches of the French flag, referring to the fact that Strasbourg has been home to the oldest US consulate in France for over 150 years.
The US community in north-east France is particularly strong, with the AIA alone having a paid membership of some 150 American families, representing around 400 people.
“The Consulate General represents the American footprint in a region that is historically and economically important to Americans and our European friends and allies,” said Claire Naughton, AIA social media director and a US citizen in France since 2018.
“Removing the US presence here makes us look like weak and unreliable international business partners. It makes life less safe here for me as an American, and generally inconveniences everyone who will have to rely on Paris, which is already understaffed, to support us in anything from standard administrative procedures to emergencies.”
Protests in Lyon and Bordeaux
US political media Politico reported that consulates in Lyon, Rennes and Bordeaux may also be shut down, which would leave only the consulate in Marseille and the main US Embassy in Paris to represent the American community in France.
Efforts to support these consulates are not only taking place in Strasbourg. Around 15 people protested outside the US consulate in Bordeaux on Friday, reports local media outlet Sudouest.
A further group of 15 Americans held a last-minute rally in Lyon on Friday afternoon, while members of the US Embassy in Paris were in the city for a day of administrative appointments, said Le Progrès.
Consulates in other European cities could also be affected, including Dusseldorf, Leipzig and Hamburg in Germany, Florence in Italy, and Ponta Delgada in Portugal.
No further updates have been communicated regarding the potential closure of France’s US consulates, however Ms Beller states the community is awaiting responses which are expected to arrive in the coming days.
