Macron's new fuel taxes - which he says were raised to push his environmental agenda - seem to be causing massive riots in protest across France. It's beautiful to see them flying the French flag as they protest Macron.
>The spark for the protest is clear, but there's not much that unites the "yellow vests" beyond their high-visibility gear and their anger at rising taxes and living costs.
>In a country where protests are often tightly managed by one political party or trade union, this is a movement with no recognised national leader, no formal structure or affiliation, which unites voters of all ages, from the far-left, the far-right, even those who once supported President Macron.
>Their new co-operation is a sign that Mr Macron has failed to restore their faith in politicians, and that deep divisions remain. These are not France's most marginalised citizens, but those who say they struggle even while working, who feel they're bearing the brunt of France's economic problems, while businesses and the rich get tax breaks.
>Demonstrations were staged around in the country. Roadblocks were set up to slow down traffic. Some motorway toll booths were taken over to let vehicles through. There were a number of minor clashes. Overall 130 arrests were made. The protests and the violence were on a much smaller scale than the previous week. Last Saturday more than 280,000 people took part, more than 600 people were injured and two people were killed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46328439
>The anger centers around a hike in the diesel fuel tax, which has gone up seven euro cents per liter — nearly 30 cents per gallon — and will keep climbing in coming years, according to Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne. The tax on gasoline is also to increase four euro cents. Currently, gasoline costs roughly 1.64 euros a liter in Paris — $7.06 a gallon — which is slightly more than diesel.
>Macron has insisted that the fuel tax rises are a necessary pain to reduce France’s dependence on fossil fuels and fund renewable energy investments, which is a cornerstone of his reforms of the nation. He will defend fresh plans to make the “energy transition” easier on Tuesday.
>On Saturday, Paris deployed some 3,000 security forces, notably around tourist-frequented areas, after an unauthorized attempt last week to march on the presidential Elysee Palace.
>Thousands of police were deployed nationwide to contain the eighth day of demonstrations in which two people have been killed since they started the Nov. 17 protests against the tax. Tense clashes on the Champs-Elysees saw police face off with protesters who burned plywood, wielded placards reading “Death to Taxes,” and upturned a large vehicle. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but 18 were detained for various acts including “throwing projectiles,” Paris police told the press.
>“The government parties didn’t understand that their tax policies would wind up producing this,” Dominique Reynié, a professor at Sciences Po, told the New York Times. “This is a movement that thinks the political parties are incapable of producing a solution. It is part of the chemistry of populism.”
>Jean-Yves Camus, who leads the Observatory on Political Radicalism, echoed Reynié’s analysis, referring to the protests as a “populist”-style revolt. “This is the first time we’re seeing a mobilization that’s coming from the social networks, and not led by the political parties or the unions,” Camus told the Times. “This is really a populist-type movement, and it’s an extremely strong protest against elite France.”
>“It’s a protest against tax policy that’s considered confiscatory,” he added. “And there’s been an undeniable drop in the buying power not just of the workers, but of the middle class.”
>Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that 8,000 protesters flooded the Champs-Elysees at the demonstration’s peak, and there were nearly 106,000 protesters and 130 arrests in total nationwide. Castaner denounced protesters from the far-right whom he called “rebellious,” as he accused National Assembly leader Marine Le Pen of encouraging them.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/11/24/expert-yellow-jacket-protest-is-populist-style-revolt-against-french-elite/
https://www.breitbart.com/news/police-uses-tear-gas-water-cannon-against-paris-protesters/