American tourists advised to avoid Paris until next week

PARIS, 2 May — The US Embassy in Paris has issued a “Consular Warden Message” in which it asks American travelers to avoid visiting Paris at least through May 5, the date of the second round of French presidential elections which are expected to be won by incumbent head of state Jacques Chirac.

In issuing the warning, the embassy does not indicate whether Americans are particularly targeted with regard to the demonstrations that were held in Paris yesterday (May Day) and the remaining days of the week. In the past, the American embassy and US Department of State have forewarned travelers of situations in which they might be the target of terrorist attacks linked to US involvement in its own anti-terrorist activities in the Middle East, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Georgia in the ex-Soviet Union.

Usually, too, the cities that Americans are asked to avoid are located in less traveled parts of the world, notably in Asia and the Middle East.

A brouhaha followed the US State Department’s request last month that Americans avoid traveling to Italy, where the possibility of anti-US terrorist attacks had been detected. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, fearing that the warning would frighten away American tourists during a major tourist season, reacted angrily at the time, telling American tourists that his own intelligence sources had indicated their lives were no more in danger then than they were at any other particular moment.

It is interesting to note with regard to the warning just issued by the US Embassy in Paris that no warning message was issued by the US government or American Embassy in Paris with regard to demonstrations leading up to the first round of presidential elections April 21, although, admittedly, they were fewer and their importance was largely inferior to those that have been taking place the past week and a half that followed the surprise second-place finish of extremist National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Americans are even advised to contact the consular section of the US Embassy in Paris, for which a telephone number (331-43122222) and website address (www.amb-usa.fr) are given.