French Protests and the Outrage in Paris

The people of France are outraged, and in this fury of anger, they have taken to the streets and damaged plenty of property. The protests have been happening for almost three weeks, and the president of the country, Emmanuel Macron, is getting worried.

The protests began when the rise in gas prices hit the streets of France. The country  already had a high tax rate, meaning they just increased their cost of living even further. Along with gas prices, the cost of electricity has risen, bringing with it the enragement of French citizens. The citizens taking action call themselves the Yellow Jackets due to their brightly colored vests that are similar to construction vests. The Yellow Jackets have produced millions of dollars in damages due to their graffiti on national monuments, the burning of cars, and the looting and destroying of storefronts across the country.

Earlier today, French President Macron loosened up his strict regulations and delayed the increase in gas prices for six months in order to diffuse the situation. Although the gas prices only increased by a couple of cents, the French people had had enough and were no longer able to go on this way. The Yellow Jackets are fed up with being a second thought and are pushing for a cheaper cost of living. Macron toured the city of Paris on Sunday and witnessed the damage done by the protesters first hand. Many angry and violent messages written in graffiti must have made Macron flinch.

While the Yellow Jackets are standing up for what they believe in, they are not doing so peacefully. The protests have become violent and have cost France around 4.5 million dollars in damage. The Yellow Jackets have spray painted hate speech on national monuments like the Arc De Triomphe, stating that they “have chopped off heads for less than this.” These yellow vested protestors are not looking to stop, as they must “be on guard.” They feel as though they have been improperly treated for years and it is their time to regain control of the country. Their main concern is low-income taxpayers. They say this is where most of the pain is felt due to poorer people paying similar taxes to other people of higher pay rates.

The Yellow Jackets are violent though they stand up for what they believe in and what they are convinced will bring  justice. Hopefully, the situation in France can improve through Macron making careful and thoughtful decisions.

By Adam Smith