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Saturday, December 8, 2018

For the past 4 weeks, protestors, proclaimed the Yellow Vest Movement, have been causing disruption and riots across France in demonstrations against high fuel taxes and poor public services.

The dialogue has begun, […] It is now necessary to rebuild the national unity.

During violent protests across France today, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe held a televised address, calling for more communication between the government and protestors with the aim to resolve the conflict. “The dialogue has begun,” he said. “It is now necessary to rebuild the national unity.”

The French government have since suspended a planned fuel tax and energy cost increase. A televised address is expected by President of France Emmanuel Macron regarding the protests early next week.

The movement began 4 weeks ago in early November after an announcement of a planned fuel tax increase for January 1, 2019. The tax was described as necessary to combat climate change and to protect the environment. This tax comes when fuel prices are at their highest, with the cost of diesel having increased by around 20 percent in the last year.

The Yellow Vest movement was built by French residents in small towns in rural France with a reliance on cars, and workers on lower middle incomes who say they barely scrape by. Many feel they do not deserve what have become the highest tax bills in Europe, and feel they do not get enough benefit from public services in return.

Support for the movement has grown popular across the nation. The yellow vests are used as a symbol by the movement for the government’s road regulations, as French motorists are required to carry a yellow vest at all times when driving.

The Yellow Vest movement enforce blockades at fuel depots, highways, and roads. Total, the French oil company, reports 75 of its 2,200 petrol stations cannot receive fuel deliveries due to “yellow vests” blockading fuel depots. Trucking federations have reported operation losses of 400 million euros ($453) due to blockades of highways, toll stations, and fuel depots. Vinci Autoroute, France’s largest toll-road operator, reports dozens of road blockades and forced openings of barriers to let motorists bypass tolls.

Most protests across France were peaceful, but some in Paris have degenerated into the worst rioting the capital has seen in years. The last two weeks saw Paris confronted by a state of unrest severe enough for a state of emergency to be considered.

Riot police attempted to control hooligans who torched vehicles and broke into shops to loot. 8,000 police and a dozen armoured vehicles were deployed in Paris today for an estimated 125,000 demonstrators, some described by police as “ultra-violent”. Tourists sites and a dozen public buildings in Paris were closed, as well as several football match being cancelled, in anticipation for the violent protests. A further 81,000 police and gendarmes were in force across the rest of France.

Protests and demonstrations continue in France with no clear indication of when it will end.

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