Artist is left to die on a busy Paris street

Artist is left to die on a busy Paris street

News

norman lebrecht

January 31, 2022

René Robert, 84, a Swiss photographer renowned as a chronicle of the art of flamenco, suffered a fall on his evening walk around 9 o’clock on January 19 in the Place de la République area.

As he lay on the pavement, dozens of people just walked by.

At six the next morning, someone called the emergency services, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead on the spot.

C’est la vie de Paris.

Read this report in El Pais.

 

 

Comments

  • John W. Norvis says:

    An SD commenter recently wrote about the heartlessness of Parisians. Sad substantiation.

    • Eleanor Walsh says:

      A report like this makes me very sad, but not really surprised that it happened in France.
      I am always amazed to read that the French actually think of themselves as “civilised” and “polite” when, on far too many occasions, I have witnessed the most wicked and uncivilised behaviour from French people. They seem to think that being polite is limited to saying their ritualistic and meaningless ‘Bonjour’ and their equally ritualistic and meaningless ‘pardon’ (while they rudely shove or push you aside or while they ruthlessly jump the queue in front of you) or their equally meaningless and ritualistic, “Au revoir Madame”.
      When will the French learn that there is a big difference between being ritualistically and coldly polite and being truly kind, caring and good to others out of sincere feelings, conviction and emotions?
      What has made French society turn into what it has?

      • Jobim75 says:

        Point taken. Our “art de vivre” is lost. A very shameful story, the deceased was spotted by a homeless. Living in Paris has become a hell. How not to be pessimistic about this country after that…..Most french refuse to acknowledge the steep decline…Those who do are just looking backwards. An existential and potentially deadly crisis…

        • Sue Sonata Form says:

          I was in Paris in 2011 and found that arrogant coldness, and filthy streets. Architecture just isn’t enough, I’m afraid. I am sorry for this poor man.

      • David B says:

        Yes, and when will certain people just let go off this rivalry with the French and make swooping arrogant generalizations to pat themselves on their back? What has made you turn into what you are, Eleanor? When will you learn?

      • John W. Norvis says:

        To be fair, I don’t think it is limited to France. The world has become desensitized. Further ‘virtualization’ of life isn’t going to be pleasant.

      • V.Lind says:

        France has a “good Samaritan” law. That could mean one of two things: that a government codified a kind of behaviour that other countries leave as optional. Or that a government recognised that without such a law things like this would always be the norm.

  • E says:

    The one person who stopped to
    help a person who had fallen last year turned out to be a young priwst, visiting his mentor. The excuse always given is “people are afraid”. Of the other?

  • CJ says:

    a) What is the link with classical music? A way of starting a bit of French bashing in absence of musical news?
    b) After 9 pm, in the winter and in a Covid period, “busy streets” are not so busy
    c) In big cities, like Paris or London, there are people lying on the pavement that are drunk or drug addicts and it is not always safe talking to them (I had that experience on the London Strand). The photographer must have been a victim of that situation and I am sorry for him and his family.

  • MacroV says:

    I’d be interested to get more information about what happened.

    I understand the “bystander effect” or that people are reluctant to get involved. Or they don’t realize what has happened. But nobody took action for nine hours? Not even a policeman walked/drove by in all that time?

    One thing I’ve heard is you’re better off having a calamity in an area with few people; if only person sees you and realizes they are the only one in a position to help, they are more likely to help. Fall in a crowded area and everyone will assume someone else will help.

    • Tiredofitall says:

      I live in the middle of Manhattan, and if I see a person in distress (or worse), I never look the other way. If I see several people responding, I observe for a few minutes to make certain proper help is actually being given.

      It’s all about humanity…or lack thereof. You either have it, or you don’t… more’s the pity.

      • David B says:

        Actually, it’s not about absolute humanity. Trust me, if you were in a prison, in a concentration camp, a different country, from a different social class, etc, your personality and behavior would be very different, and your “humanity” would change accordingly.

        Humans are social beings. There are innumerable research that show at great lengths to what extent our values and behaviors are shaped by our environment. The fact that you would audaciously and rather ignorantly proclaim without any evidence whatsoever that humanity is something you “either have or you don’t”, is also a testament to the fact that you and I come from very different backgrounds and conditioned differently. It doesn’t mean that we can’t change, or that we both somehow “lack” something.

      • henry williams says:

        i live near manchester uk. i walk with a stick people come up to me all the time. and ask if
        i need help. they are so nice

    • Nicholas says:

      Maybe we are starting to witness a sea change in human relations brought on by ill advised governmental policies governing the fight against COVID-19. People have been conditioned to isolate themselves, wear masks, not hug, not shake hands, or not see the complete face of the other person. This could be a jump from the “bystander effect” to the “COVID-19 effect” that sociologists will study in the future. A very sad ending to a man who in life cut “a bella figura” according to the article.

    • Peter San Diego says:

      Bystanders with a cell phone need not expose themselves to personal risk: they can simply call the emergency dispatch number for police or ambulance services.

  • John Dalkas says:

    I’m unsure of the relevance of Norman’s post other than as a vehicle for his French bashing. Nonetheless as an American who has lived most of his life in Paris, I, too, have often witnessed shocking behavior by the French here and elsewhere in France. I have often felt that for many French the “fraternité” in “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” is optional. Yet I have also seen people rush to help others who have fallen in the street.

    It’s easy to condemn the lack of compassion seen in this horrific incident – it took a homeless person to alert the authorities, and after many hours of people walking by. Remember, though, that Paris is a large, often anonymous city whose inhabitants’ behavior is not unlike that seen in other of the world’s great cities. And that this tragedy happened in the dark, when people can be wary of strangers and afraid to help.

    For me the lesson we can glean from this incident is to remember that person on the ground could be us.

  • Rudy says:

    The same thing happened to Roland.Barthes outside the College de France years ago…I think people just think that the person they see is drunk and having a nap. Very sad.

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