Bodies in Distress

There were no streetwalkers walking the streets of Marseille last week. Instead of accosting potential customers with the traditional invitation "Tu viens, cheri?" (Coming, darling?), the city's prostitutes were busy holding press conferences, leading demonstrations, and passing out pamphlets in support of a strike by the filles de joie.

The strike began three weeks ago when Marseille's new prefect of police, Rene Heckenroth, responded to political pressure to clean up the city by suddenly closing down the 30-odd hotels where the prostitutes took their clients. With that, the girls walked off the job--but not before consulting Lawyer Emile Pollak, who told them to extend their walkout for 30 days. "On the 31st day," he warned, "you'll see what state Marseille wilt be in."

Meanwhile, the girls are explaining to anyone within earshot why the clandestine bordellos should be reopened. "To begin with," said a petite blonde named Paula at one press conference, "we bring business to neighborhood shopkeepers. Secondly, we succor bodies in distress. Finally, we're all mothers, you know, and you can't expect us to live on the government's family allowance."

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