Live
Audio Only
For many of the "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow Vest) fact that the French government has announced on Tuesday the suspension of the 1 percent fuel tax hike, is not enough now. Even though, if they see this measure as a win for the protests that have snowballed in France for several weeks, now they think that it is not enough, and have called for new protests next Saturday.
RELATED:
Bowing to 'Yellow Vest' Protests, Macron Suspends Fuel Tax Hike
One of the most common complaints coming from French people is that President Macron left Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to give the announcement of the tax suspension, and didn't “deign to speak to his people.” The measure taken by the French government has come too late and after too much discontent had been gathered by the French people according to the protesters.
According to Eric Drouet, a truck driver and one of the first to start the yellow vest movement, now is the "crystallization of all types of anger," in the country. The 18 months of the Macron government have been marked by austerity measures that have marinated a response by social movements and protests such as the yellow vests, with protests that started on Nov.17th.
The yellow vests have called for another round of protests in Paris for next Saturday, “people are more and more motivated. They are organizing themselves. We will be even greater in number,” said Drouet. But the movement is broad and for some, the retreat on taxes is enough to lift their blockades in some parts of the country.
For the majority of the Gilets Jaunes the former banker, now president, Macron is only for and "of the rich," and has no contact with the "forgotten" France, struggling with high taxes and high prices on basic services. Over the past three weeks, the yellow vest movement has been in constant metamorphosis and had now become an anti-Macron protest and near uprising. They criticize the president for pursuing policies they say favor the rich and do nothing to help the poor.
Newsletter
