Reviewing 2018: 'Yellow vest' anger persists in France
Arirang News
2018-12-30
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A populist, grassroots movement, which began in France, a country with a revolutionary tradition, grabbed international headlines in the last month.
Commentators were quick to compare it to a modern Bastille Day... as hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets to rail against President Emmanuel Macron,... calling for an end to tax reforms they claim put a disproportionate burden on the working and middle classes.
Ko Roon-hee explains.
The "yellow vest movement" is named after the neon vests French drivers are required to carry in their vehicles… in case of a roadside emergency.
The first nationwide protest on November 17 was sparked by drivers' opposition to a rise in fuel taxes.
The French government had planned to raise taxes on gasoline and diesel from January... as part of President Emmanuel Macron's policy of reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels and funding investments in renewable energy.
But the movement quickly turned into a wider mobilization among the middle-class against Macron's other economic policies,… such as slashing the wealth tax and reforming labor laws in a way that makes it easier to fire workers.
Many are demanding better employment conditions for the working class,… including higher wages and lower taxes -- some even want President Macron to resign.
"There's no reason to be scared. We are here for our children's future, for our grandparents who fought in the war, for our parents too, because some of them are suffering, struggling."
During weeks of protests, there were confrontations between French police and protestors,… which resulted in heavy casualties.
According to French news reports, as of the third week of December, almost 3-thousand people had been injured and 10 people had died.
To quell the violence, President Macron dropped the plan to hike fuel taxes and announced measures to raise wages for the workers making the least... and to cut taxes for pensioners.
President Macron also called for a return to calm and order.
"That's what our country needs, concord and unity, a sincere commitment to a strong collective cause. Divisions must be repaired."
The yellow vest demonstrations are expected to continue...and they are now spreading internationally to countries including Belgium and Lebanon.
Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.
Commentators were quick to compare it to a modern Bastille Day... as hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets to rail against President Emmanuel Macron,... calling for an end to tax reforms they claim put a disproportionate burden on the working and middle classes.
Ko Roon-hee explains.
The "yellow vest movement" is named after the neon vests French drivers are required to carry in their vehicles… in case of a roadside emergency.
The first nationwide protest on November 17 was sparked by drivers' opposition to a rise in fuel taxes.
The French government had planned to raise taxes on gasoline and diesel from January... as part of President Emmanuel Macron's policy of reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels and funding investments in renewable energy.
But the movement quickly turned into a wider mobilization among the middle-class against Macron's other economic policies,… such as slashing the wealth tax and reforming labor laws in a way that makes it easier to fire workers.
Many are demanding better employment conditions for the working class,… including higher wages and lower taxes -- some even want President Macron to resign.
"There's no reason to be scared. We are here for our children's future, for our grandparents who fought in the war, for our parents too, because some of them are suffering, struggling."
During weeks of protests, there were confrontations between French police and protestors,… which resulted in heavy casualties.
According to French news reports, as of the third week of December, almost 3-thousand people had been injured and 10 people had died.
To quell the violence, President Macron dropped the plan to hike fuel taxes and announced measures to raise wages for the workers making the least... and to cut taxes for pensioners.
President Macron also called for a return to calm and order.
"That's what our country needs, concord and unity, a sincere commitment to a strong collective cause. Divisions must be repaired."
The yellow vest demonstrations are expected to continue...and they are now spreading internationally to countries including Belgium and Lebanon.
Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.
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