Paris is in Flames as Anger Against Macron Mounts

For four weekends, protestors wearing yellow vests set cars on fire, looted shops, and smashed windows all over France. Paris was hit hardest by demonstrations. Protests began over heightened duties on diesel, a widely used fuel that had the lowest taxes than other fuels until now.

These taxes were intended to be sustainable and reduce French dependence on fossil fuels. Diesel prices rose over the past year and tax increases on diesel and petrol effective in 2019 drove the protestors over the edge.

Protests evolved as a declaration of rage on low wages, pensions, other taxes, and difficult university entry requirements. The motive behind the gilets jaunes or “yellow vest movement” is to call attention to the plight of poor working class families who harbor economic distress and political distrust. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner voiced concerns regarding radical infiltrators on Saturday. The movement has had some success as taxes on fuel were done away with and prices for gas and electricity are frozen for the next year.

Approval ratings of Macron dropped because of the unpopularity of his economic reforms. Much of the public want to see him resign from office. On Monday, President Macron finally stepped up after weeks of silence and made a 13 minute televised statement promising to raise the minimum wage by 100 euros every month beginning in January. Pay for overtime work will not be taxed. He will continue not to tax the rich.

Damages are estimated to be hefty and will lower investment as well as tourism rates. This past weekend, several tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower were closed and cities including Paris, Bordeaux, and Avignon were on lockdown.

The Arc de Triomphe was defaced with graffiti. The cleaning tab must be covered by the government. Over 500 municipal cleaners were deployed to clean up the capital with the aid of firefighters.

Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister of France, vowed to help store owners with damaged storefronts. He pointed out how France’s GDP was harmed by the unrest, cut by .1 percentage points this quarter.

Protestors who were arrested alleged unprofessional violence from the police. In the Gironde region of France, two people were hit in the eyes with rubber bullets. In this viral video, a man was detained and tipped out of his wheelchair.

In France, high levels of social security and workers’ rights hinder business-friendly reforms despite ever-present unemployment—staunching Macron’s reformist agenda further.

Featured Image via AlmanarEnglish