Um, Ed, I find that you are being the one that is a bit narrow minded here. I wasn't on St Martin, I wasn't inconvenienced, I recognize the French law that allows some civil disobedience, and I am happy that the local residents have gotten their elected government to listen to them. That said, your US analogies are moot as the US economy isn't tourist based. And the tourist voices I have seen here have only been explaining how the protest affected them on their vacation. Inconvenience is in the eye of the inconvenienced and certainly nothing wrong with saying "I wish that wouldn't have happened" or "I was frightened when the road block caused my bus to detour down a dark uninhabited dirt road". None of the comments I read, save the silly freedom fries, seemed inappropriate or uncaring. I didn't see anyone say "simple, provincial people and their road blocks, don't they know I am important". They were just people saying that they didn't like it. An opinion they have every right to. And if a legal act of civil disobedience causes someone to say that it inconvenienced them enough to want to seek a different place to spend their economy-supporting tourist dollars next year, they should have the right to say so. And locals should listen to the unfortunate result of their actions as well as celebrate the successful results. Some tourists WERE inconvenienced and frightened and may well change their travel plans. And shouldn't be pilloried for saying just that. Some of the"pro" roadblock people here are not seeing the forest for the trees.