France has a bad reputation for racist attitudes and behaviour. This is in part due to the country's infamous Front National party, an openly racist, far-right party, whose leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, sent shockwaves round the country when he won over 17 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections in May 2002. Though partly a protest vote against the mainstream parties, the result reflected a significant swing to the right fuelled by fears of crime, immigration and unemployment. On the positive side, around a million people took to the streets of Paris after the first round of the elections to protest at Le Pen's anti-immigration policies, and the Front National failed to secure any seats in the subsequent parliamentary elections in June. The presidential elections also saw Christiane Taubira become France's first black presidential candidate, receiving 2.3 percent of the vote.France however has a long way to go before it becomes a racially tolerant nation. Discrimination in employment is common, and for the moment, if you are black or Arab, or look as if you might be, you're likely to come up against some form of unpleasantness: hotels claiming to be booked up, nightclubs pretending to be members only (that said, at some nightclubs, being black carries cachet and earns immediate entrance) and police demanding your papers are depressingly frequent occurrences. In addition, being black, of whatever ethnic origin, can make entering the country difficult. Changes in passport regulations have put an end to outright refusal to let some holidaymakers in, but customs and immigration officers can still be obstructive and malicious. In North African-dominated areas of Paris such as the Goutte d'Or, identity checks by the police are common. The clampdown on illegal immigration (and much tougher laws) has resulted in a significant increase in police stop-and-search operations. Carrying your passport at all times is a good idea (you are legally required to have some identification on you in any case). There are many antiracist organizations including SOS Racisme, 28 rue des Petits-Écuries, 10e (tel 01.53.24.67.67, www.sos-racisme.org; M° Château-d'Eau). Though it doesn't represent the majority of immigrants and their descendants in France (for rioting kids in Paris's suburbs, it's an irrelevant middle-class outfit), SOS Racisme has done a great deal over the last few years to raise consciousness amongst young white French people. If you speak French, they will give you support should you be the victim of a racist assault (phone first, as opening times vary), or you can ring 114, a free national helpline for victims of discrimination. The police are unlikely to be sympathetic – your consulate may be more helpful.
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