Yellow Vests launch protests – with pots and pans
"We’ve all had enough," reads a sign at a protest against the high cost of living in France. Photo: Thibault Camus/AP/TT
The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) protest movement in France is calling for new demonstrations this weekend against the high cost of living. They are kicking things off as early as Friday evening with a loud commotion—by banging on pots and pans.
Between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM, the Yellow Vests are calling for a noisy start to the weekend’s demonstrations, which students and labor unions are also expected to join.
In a classic French style of protest—known as "casserolades" (essentially "pot-and-pan concerts")—the movement aims to protest how President Emmanuel Macron is responding to public anger.
"They ban our demonstrations, impose curfews, and cordon off city centers to keep protesters out. We will make sure our pots and pans are heard right under the windows of members of parliament," the Yellow Vests declared, according to C News.
The police have decided that the demonstrations must instead take place between Porte de Bagnolet and Porte de Charenton, on the outskirts of the city, according to Le Parisien. This is unacceptable, according to L'Unef—France’s oldest national student union—which intends to challenge the decision in court.
"This proves that the authorities want to silence young people," says Clara Privé, the organization’s treasurer, as reported by BFMTV.
In Paris, this applies to the Place de la République and the area around Châtelet, starting at 11:00 PM on Saturday. Other cities, such as Nice, have issued curfews specifically for minors.
Facts
The movement has no formal leader and brings together groups from both the right and the left. It has drawn its strongest support from the working class, residents of rural or sparsely populated areas, and the lower-middle class in France’s more peripheral regions.
Over the years, the protests have evolved to encompass broader discontent with President Emmanuel Macron and his economic policies.
Source: Le Monde, Sciences Po
The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) protest movement in France is calling for new demonstrations this weekend against the high cost of living. They are kicking things off as early as Friday evening with a loud commotion—by banging on pots and pans.
Between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM, the Yellow Vests are calling for a noisy start to the weekend’s demonstrations, which students and labor unions are also expected to join.
In a classic French style of protest—known as "casserolades" (essentially "pot-and-pan concerts")—the movement aims to protest how President Emmanuel Macron is responding to public anger.
"They ban our demonstrations, impose curfews, and cordon off city centers to keep protesters out. We will make sure our pots and pans are heard right under the windows of members of parliament," the Yellow Vests declared, according to C News.
"Trying to silence us"
On Friday, the Paris police authority banned the routes the protesters had planned for the weekend. Activists are no longer permitted to march from the symbolic Bastille to Nation and Concorde. According to Emmanuel Macron, the demonstrations are being kept away from the city center to protect shops that had been looted and destroyed during previous protests.The police have decided that the demonstrations must instead take place between Porte de Bagnolet and Porte de Charenton, on the outskirts of the city, according to Le Parisien. This is unacceptable, according to L'Unef—France’s oldest national student union—which intends to challenge the decision in court.
"This proves that the authorities want to silence young people," says Clara Privé, the organization’s treasurer, as reported by BFMTV.
Increased security
Security measures are also being stepped up across the country ahead of the weekend, with 70,000 police officers and gendarmes mobilized. Furthermore, several cities are imposing partial curfews.In Paris, this applies to the Place de la République and the area around Châtelet, starting at 11:00 PM on Saturday. Other cities, such as Nice, have issued curfews specifically for minors.
Facts
The Yellow Vests
The Yellow Vests held their first demonstrations on November 17, 2018, in protest against tax hikes on gasoline and diesel.The movement has no formal leader and brings together groups from both the right and the left. It has drawn its strongest support from the working class, residents of rural or sparsely populated areas, and the lower-middle class in France’s more peripheral regions.
Over the years, the protests have evolved to encompass broader discontent with President Emmanuel Macron and his economic policies.
Source: Le Monde, Sciences Po
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