PEOPLE’S POWER IN FULL FORCE

Dec 13, 2018 Editorial

Over the years, France has had several demonstrations over socio-economic and political issues, but none can compare to the present street protests, which started four weeks ago. Since then the citizens of France continue to object to the 10 cents per gallon increase on fuel.
The increase in the price of gas has become a key element for the majority of French citizens because about 40 percent of them use their cars on a daily basis for work and another 30 percent use their cars regularly for other purposes.
The new taxes were in addition to an increase in the cost for electricity designed to mitigate climate change, but ended up igniting the so-called Yellow Vest movement, a group of poor rural and suburban French citizens whose living conditions are awful in a country with some of the highest taxes in Europe.
The movement is named for the safety vests worn in all French cars, but has become a symbol of dissatisfaction and frustration with the French government. It is unlike any other movement. It has no organization, no leaders and is not backed by unions. Basically, the riots are seen as a revolt that has split France between the rich from the big cities and the poor blue-collar workers and farmers from the small towns in the rural areas who are struggling to make ends meet.
The revolt has expanded to include a reduction in cost of living, payroll taxes and unemployment, a redistribution of wealth, increases in salaries, pensions, social security payments and the minimum wage. Protestors have also called for the dissolution of the French Parliament and the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron, whose 23 percent approval rating is the lowest since President François Hollande in 2013.
Numbering in the thousands, the protestors, mostly men age 20 to 45 years old from across France, some far-right and far-left extremists, are accusing President Macron of being arrogant and completely out of touch with the problems of the masses. Angry and outraged over the government’s economic policies, which they claim benefit the rich, the protestors overran several riot police barricades in Paris, smashed store windows, looted luxury stores and boutiques, torched cars, defaced numerous public buildings and monuments and dug-up many streets.
With five deaths, more than 300 injured and thousands arrested, the riots have turned Paris’ fanciest neighbourhoods into chaos. This level of revolt and violence has not been seen in France since the 1960s.
Public support for the Yellow Vest movement remains high, with seven-in-10 people backing the protest. President Macron in an address to the nation, sought to restore calm after being accused that his governing style and his economic policies were ruing the country. Not only was the Head of State humbled, but he reversed the tax increase on fuel, increased wages for the poorest workers, cut taxes for pensioners, and accepted blame for the unrest.
The 40-year-old former investment banker turned politician’s quest to quell the disturbances proved more difficult than he had thought. Realizing that the movement was snowballing, Macron further offered an array of benefits for low-income earners. They include subsidies for switching to more fuel-efficient cars, gas purchases, and rebates for changing to clean fuel for home heating. These measures are likely to cost the state billions, which it does not have.
The protesters, whose movement has grown rapidly in numbers through social media, have forced the government to deploy some 90,000 police throughout France. The riots have caused most of the stores, museums and public buildings in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, to close. Paris is looking like a ghost town during what should be a festive pre-Christmas shopping season. People’s power is in full force.

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