Macron continues to feel the sting of the 'yellow jackets' unending protests
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— Paris police ban yellow vests from protesting near 'fragile' Notre-Dame
— More yellow vest protests despite Notre Dame fire
For two months, France has been wracked by protests. Initially set off by rising fuel taxes, they morphed into a more general rejection of President Emmanuel Macron.
The movement has become increasingly violent and security officials say that some of the protests have become as violent as those of those of 1968, when all of France was in upheaval. In some ways, the “gilets jaunes” (“yellow jacket”) movement is a typically French protest, but it also reflects a deeper malaise that is increasingly found throughout the West.
The yellow jacket protests began in November when an estimated 300,000 people across France took to the streets and erected barricades to protest rising fuel prices. The price increases stemmed from France’s commitment to fight global warming, but also reflected Macron’s belief in the need to force structural change on the economy. The protests continued for the rest of the year, and gradually took on the character of an anti-Macron movement, despite key concessions that his government made, including suspension of the fuel tax increases.
Hopes that additional conciliatory statements and gestures by the president would deflate the movement proved mistaken. The protests resumed last weekend as an estimated 50,000 people across the country took to the streets. The demonstrations in Paris turned violent when marchers deviated from an approved route, and riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Barricades and motorcycles were set on fire, as was a floating restaurant on the Seine.
Criticism of the president takes three forms. First, there are those, like U.S. President Donald Trump, who blame environmental naivete as the root of his problem. For them, Macron’s pursuit of a “globalist” agenda reeks of elitism and ignores the needs of ordinary French citizens. A second group of critics charge that Macron is a typical bourgeois capitalist whose reform agenda is merely unbridled capitalism that ignores the needs of most French citizens. Finally, a third group charges that Macron was always just another empty suit with good marketing skills; his claim to represent a new force in French politics was just talk. That may not have been true when he launched his presidential bid, but in the 18 months since he took office and his party won a majority in the National Assembly, Macron and En Marche have become part of the system, rather than a corrective for it.
Popular anger toward Macron is driven by a perception that he is insensitive to the needs of ordinary French people. His reform agenda has included tax cuts that favor the wealthy and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. The yellow jackets that protesters wear — equipment that every car is supposed to have — symbolizes the call by average citizens to be seen and their voices heard. An imperial personal style has not helped Macron’s image.
Macron is unbowed, however. While he has acknowledged that he made mistakes, suspended the fuel tax increases, pushed for tax cuts for pensioners and promised wage increases for the poorest workers, he has also said that he will continue with reform. In his New Year’s Eve speech to the nation, Macron said “We can’t work less, earn more, cut taxes and increase spending.”
Macron’s success should matter to the rest of the world. He is the leader of a Group of Seven country and the holder of a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. His commitment to fighting global warming and for responsible carbon emissions policies is an example to other nations. He has stood up for the institutions of international order when they are under unprecedented assault. He backs the same principles and norms as has Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: free and fair trade, open and transparent trade and investment policies, and human rights and the dignity of the individual. Last October, the two men agreed to increase bilateral cooperation to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that “Japan and France are both oceanic nations. We would like to join hands for promotion of the free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Perhaps most important is his support for the European Union. Macron is a true believer and has worked with like-minded integrationists to keep the EU strong. He knows that a united Europe is a powerful force for peace and prosperity in the world and without it, Europe will be increasingly subject to the influence of external powers. Japan, like Washington, should want that strong conception of Europe to prevail. They should also recognize that a successful European project will help combat the populist and right-wing forces that are pulling the continent apart.
Macron is the master of his own fate. But much rides on the future of the yellow jacket movement and Macron’s ability to convince them of a vision that will better their own lives.
<—— Paris police ban yellow vests from protesting near 'fragile' Notre-Dame ——>
'Yellow vest' protesters in Paris have been told they will be banned from the area around the fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral.
The 'yellow vests' will be holding their 23rd week of protests on Saturday, with a large demonstration planned in Paris.
But they have been told they cannot congregate in the area around fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral.
The ban will be in place all day Saturday, a police statement said, following Monday's devastating fire at the world famous landmark.
"No protest demonstration can be held" in the area due to the fragility of the building, the statement said.
They will also be banned from the Champs-Elysees avenue and the area around the presidential Elysee Palace, as has been the case for the past month.
This Saturday was to have been the first protest to be held since French president Emmanuel Macron announced what measures he would take in response to the months of sometimes violent protests demanding help with the cost of living for ordinary French people.
In the event, Macron did not deliver the speech as planned on Monday night, and instead rushed to the scene at Notre-Dame.
However his pre-recorded speech was leaked to French media, so most 'yellow vests' now have an idea of his plans, which include tax cuts for middle income earners, an end to school and hospital closures in rural areas and scrapping the prestigious École Nationale d'Administration for civil servants, which is widely seen as a breeding ground for the elite.
The plans were the result of months of 'town hall' style debates and online consultations where people could air their grievances.
It remains to be seen whether the protesters feel that he has gone far enough.
<—— More yellow vest protests despite Notre Dame fire ——>
For many yellow vest protesters, the stinging sadness that came with the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral has quickly given way to boiling anger.
Some of the activists, whose violent protests against inequality have been shaking up France for months, said they cried in front of their TV sets as they watched the Gothic architectural masterpiece being consumed by flames Monday night.
Despite their struggles to make ends meet, some even made small donations for the restoration of the iconic building.
But they also felt unheard when French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation to speak about the fire, instead of laying out his response to the social crisis that has fueled their protests since last November.
And they felt even more outraged when, in just a few hours, billionaires pledged hundreds of millions of dollars (euros) to help restore the damaged cathedral while their demands remain unsatisfied in their longstanding fight with the French government.
“You’re there, looking at all these millions accumulating, after spending five months in the streets fighting social and fiscal injustice. It’s breaking my heart,” Ingrid Levavasseur, a founding leader of the movement, told The Associated Press ahead of another round of planned protests across France this weekend.
“What happened at Notre Dame is obviously a deplorable tragedy. But nobody died. I’ve heard someone speaking of national mourning. Are they out of their minds?”
The blaze at Notre Dame has sent a shockwave through France, but Levavasseur believes the image of unbroken national unity that arose in the aftermath of the fire is being politically exploited by Macron.
“It took him less than 24 hours to speak about the fire, while he made us wait for three weeks before addressing our issues,” she said.
Decrying the struggles of low-paid workers and pensioners and accusing Macron’s government of favouring the rich, yellow vest activists — named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars — have been protesting for 22 consecutive weekends.
Frustrated by the lack of government response, Levavasseur has stopped attending demonstrations in recent weeks but is considering returning to the streets on Saturday because of an even greater sense of being overlooked since the Notre Dame tragedy.
And she’s not the only one feeling this way.
“The yellow vests will show their anger against the billion found in four days for stones, and nothing for the needy,” wrote Pierre Derrien on the Facebook page of a yellow vests group based in the southern city of Montpellier.
France’s richest businessman, Bernard Arnault, and his luxury goods LVMH group pledged 200 million euros ($226 million) for the reconstruction. Billionaire Francois Pinault and his son, Francois-Henri Pinault, said they were giving 100 million euros from Artemis, the holding company that owns the Christie’s auction house and the main shareholder of luxury fashion houses, including Gucci.
“If they can give dozens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, they should stop telling us there is no money to respond to the social emergency,” CGT trade union leader Philippe Martinez said.
More than $1 billion has been pledged for the cathedral’s restoration, and many French citizens believe the money could be better spent elsewhere. Some have also criticized the billionaires’ donations because their pledges make them eligible for huge tax deductions. The Pinault family has said, however, they will not ask for a tax deduction for their donation to Notre Dame.
In fact, taxes have been one of the most pressing issues of the yellow vest movement, which has lashed out at Macron for favouring the rich by eliminating a wealth tax as part of his economic stimulus plan, while average French workers have seen their living standards decline.
Anti-rich messages have flourished on social media in recent days as yellow vest protesters co-ordinated their action for the weekend.
“A little message for all the patrons (Pinault, Arnault and the others), hospitals are on strike because they lack means, so if you can make a gesture…” a Facebook user wrote.
Meanwhile, dozens of others exhorted wealthy donors to be more generous with France’s underclass.
“Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Miserables,” they wrote on their social media pages, quoting French writer Ollivier Pourriol and his droll reference to Hugo’s famous novels about the cathedral and the lives of the poor.
Tristan, a yellow vest supporter who declined to give his full name for fear of being identified by police after he was banned from travelling to Paris during weekends to attend demonstrations, prefers to stay away from the polemics.
He made an 80-euro (nearly $90) donation to Notre Dame — quite a lot of money for the 29-year-old, who works in construction and does frequent night shifts to put butter on his bread.
“I’m a Catholic, I’m a regular churchgoer, and I felt personally touched,” he said. “Tears came to my eyes on Monday night.”
“Of course, one can ask why billionaires did not give money before to less important organizations. But who knows if they didn’t?” he said.
“On the other hand, what really shocked me is Macron saying Notre Dame would be rebuilt within five years. It’s obvious he never held a trowel in his life.”
— Paris police ban yellow vests from protesting near 'fragile' Notre-Dame
— More yellow vest protests despite Notre Dame fire
 |
| This will be the first demo since Macron's plans were leaked. Photo: AFP |
For two months, France has been wracked by protests. Initially set off by rising fuel taxes, they morphed into a more general rejection of President Emmanuel Macron.
The movement has become increasingly violent and security officials say that some of the protests have become as violent as those of those of 1968, when all of France was in upheaval. In some ways, the “gilets jaunes” (“yellow jacket”) movement is a typically French protest, but it also reflects a deeper malaise that is increasingly found throughout the West.
The yellow jacket protests began in November when an estimated 300,000 people across France took to the streets and erected barricades to protest rising fuel prices. The price increases stemmed from France’s commitment to fight global warming, but also reflected Macron’s belief in the need to force structural change on the economy. The protests continued for the rest of the year, and gradually took on the character of an anti-Macron movement, despite key concessions that his government made, including suspension of the fuel tax increases.
Hopes that additional conciliatory statements and gestures by the president would deflate the movement proved mistaken. The protests resumed last weekend as an estimated 50,000 people across the country took to the streets. The demonstrations in Paris turned violent when marchers deviated from an approved route, and riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Barricades and motorcycles were set on fire, as was a floating restaurant on the Seine.
Criticism of the president takes three forms. First, there are those, like U.S. President Donald Trump, who blame environmental naivete as the root of his problem. For them, Macron’s pursuit of a “globalist” agenda reeks of elitism and ignores the needs of ordinary French citizens. A second group of critics charge that Macron is a typical bourgeois capitalist whose reform agenda is merely unbridled capitalism that ignores the needs of most French citizens. Finally, a third group charges that Macron was always just another empty suit with good marketing skills; his claim to represent a new force in French politics was just talk. That may not have been true when he launched his presidential bid, but in the 18 months since he took office and his party won a majority in the National Assembly, Macron and En Marche have become part of the system, rather than a corrective for it.
Popular anger toward Macron is driven by a perception that he is insensitive to the needs of ordinary French people. His reform agenda has included tax cuts that favor the wealthy and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. The yellow jackets that protesters wear — equipment that every car is supposed to have — symbolizes the call by average citizens to be seen and their voices heard. An imperial personal style has not helped Macron’s image.
Macron is unbowed, however. While he has acknowledged that he made mistakes, suspended the fuel tax increases, pushed for tax cuts for pensioners and promised wage increases for the poorest workers, he has also said that he will continue with reform. In his New Year’s Eve speech to the nation, Macron said “We can’t work less, earn more, cut taxes and increase spending.”
Macron’s success should matter to the rest of the world. He is the leader of a Group of Seven country and the holder of a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. His commitment to fighting global warming and for responsible carbon emissions policies is an example to other nations. He has stood up for the institutions of international order when they are under unprecedented assault. He backs the same principles and norms as has Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: free and fair trade, open and transparent trade and investment policies, and human rights and the dignity of the individual. Last October, the two men agreed to increase bilateral cooperation to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that “Japan and France are both oceanic nations. We would like to join hands for promotion of the free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Perhaps most important is his support for the European Union. Macron is a true believer and has worked with like-minded integrationists to keep the EU strong. He knows that a united Europe is a powerful force for peace and prosperity in the world and without it, Europe will be increasingly subject to the influence of external powers. Japan, like Washington, should want that strong conception of Europe to prevail. They should also recognize that a successful European project will help combat the populist and right-wing forces that are pulling the continent apart.
Macron is the master of his own fate. But much rides on the future of the yellow jacket movement and Macron’s ability to convince them of a vision that will better their own lives.
<—— Paris police ban yellow vests from protesting near 'fragile' Notre-Dame ——>
'Yellow vest' protesters in Paris have been told they will be banned from the area around the fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral.
The 'yellow vests' will be holding their 23rd week of protests on Saturday, with a large demonstration planned in Paris.
But they have been told they cannot congregate in the area around fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral.
The ban will be in place all day Saturday, a police statement said, following Monday's devastating fire at the world famous landmark.
"No protest demonstration can be held" in the area due to the fragility of the building, the statement said.
They will also be banned from the Champs-Elysees avenue and the area around the presidential Elysee Palace, as has been the case for the past month.
This Saturday was to have been the first protest to be held since French president Emmanuel Macron announced what measures he would take in response to the months of sometimes violent protests demanding help with the cost of living for ordinary French people.
In the event, Macron did not deliver the speech as planned on Monday night, and instead rushed to the scene at Notre-Dame.
However his pre-recorded speech was leaked to French media, so most 'yellow vests' now have an idea of his plans, which include tax cuts for middle income earners, an end to school and hospital closures in rural areas and scrapping the prestigious École Nationale d'Administration for civil servants, which is widely seen as a breeding ground for the elite.
The plans were the result of months of 'town hall' style debates and online consultations where people could air their grievances.
It remains to be seen whether the protesters feel that he has gone far enough.
<—— More yellow vest protests despite Notre Dame fire ——>
For many yellow vest protesters, the stinging sadness that came with the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral has quickly given way to boiling anger.
Some of the activists, whose violent protests against inequality have been shaking up France for months, said they cried in front of their TV sets as they watched the Gothic architectural masterpiece being consumed by flames Monday night.
Despite their struggles to make ends meet, some even made small donations for the restoration of the iconic building.
But they also felt unheard when French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation to speak about the fire, instead of laying out his response to the social crisis that has fueled their protests since last November.
And they felt even more outraged when, in just a few hours, billionaires pledged hundreds of millions of dollars (euros) to help restore the damaged cathedral while their demands remain unsatisfied in their longstanding fight with the French government.
“You’re there, looking at all these millions accumulating, after spending five months in the streets fighting social and fiscal injustice. It’s breaking my heart,” Ingrid Levavasseur, a founding leader of the movement, told The Associated Press ahead of another round of planned protests across France this weekend.
“What happened at Notre Dame is obviously a deplorable tragedy. But nobody died. I’ve heard someone speaking of national mourning. Are they out of their minds?”
The blaze at Notre Dame has sent a shockwave through France, but Levavasseur believes the image of unbroken national unity that arose in the aftermath of the fire is being politically exploited by Macron.
“It took him less than 24 hours to speak about the fire, while he made us wait for three weeks before addressing our issues,” she said.
Decrying the struggles of low-paid workers and pensioners and accusing Macron’s government of favouring the rich, yellow vest activists — named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars — have been protesting for 22 consecutive weekends.
Frustrated by the lack of government response, Levavasseur has stopped attending demonstrations in recent weeks but is considering returning to the streets on Saturday because of an even greater sense of being overlooked since the Notre Dame tragedy.
And she’s not the only one feeling this way.
“The yellow vests will show their anger against the billion found in four days for stones, and nothing for the needy,” wrote Pierre Derrien on the Facebook page of a yellow vests group based in the southern city of Montpellier.
France’s richest businessman, Bernard Arnault, and his luxury goods LVMH group pledged 200 million euros ($226 million) for the reconstruction. Billionaire Francois Pinault and his son, Francois-Henri Pinault, said they were giving 100 million euros from Artemis, the holding company that owns the Christie’s auction house and the main shareholder of luxury fashion houses, including Gucci.
“If they can give dozens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, they should stop telling us there is no money to respond to the social emergency,” CGT trade union leader Philippe Martinez said.
More than $1 billion has been pledged for the cathedral’s restoration, and many French citizens believe the money could be better spent elsewhere. Some have also criticized the billionaires’ donations because their pledges make them eligible for huge tax deductions. The Pinault family has said, however, they will not ask for a tax deduction for their donation to Notre Dame.
In fact, taxes have been one of the most pressing issues of the yellow vest movement, which has lashed out at Macron for favouring the rich by eliminating a wealth tax as part of his economic stimulus plan, while average French workers have seen their living standards decline.
Anti-rich messages have flourished on social media in recent days as yellow vest protesters co-ordinated their action for the weekend.
“A little message for all the patrons (Pinault, Arnault and the others), hospitals are on strike because they lack means, so if you can make a gesture…” a Facebook user wrote.
Meanwhile, dozens of others exhorted wealthy donors to be more generous with France’s underclass.
“Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Miserables,” they wrote on their social media pages, quoting French writer Ollivier Pourriol and his droll reference to Hugo’s famous novels about the cathedral and the lives of the poor.
Tristan, a yellow vest supporter who declined to give his full name for fear of being identified by police after he was banned from travelling to Paris during weekends to attend demonstrations, prefers to stay away from the polemics.
He made an 80-euro (nearly $90) donation to Notre Dame — quite a lot of money for the 29-year-old, who works in construction and does frequent night shifts to put butter on his bread.
“I’m a Catholic, I’m a regular churchgoer, and I felt personally touched,” he said. “Tears came to my eyes on Monday night.”
“Of course, one can ask why billionaires did not give money before to less important organizations. But who knows if they didn’t?” he said.
“On the other hand, what really shocked me is Macron saying Notre Dame would be rebuilt within five years. It’s obvious he never held a trowel in his life.”
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