One killed and 47 injured in France fuel tax protests
- by Shawn Tate
- in Economy
- — Nov 18, 2018
Sky's Adele Robinson, who is in Paris, was forced to move away from the scene of one protest after being overcome by what appeared to be tear gas.
Far-left party Unbowed France's leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said the number of protesters was much higher than the interior ministry's assessment and accused the government of "dramatizing" the movement.
The protests over rising fuel taxes have drawn citizens upset about a host of problems like decreased buying power.
At least one person has died and nearly 50 others have been injured as around 124,000 people protested against soaring fuel prices throughout France.
Police used tear gas to clear the entrance to a tunnel under the Mont-Blanc mountain in the Alps, and to push back demonstrators near the Elysee Palace in Paris and in the centre of Lyon.
A man holds a flare as demonstrators wearing yellow vests (Gilets jaunes) protest against the rising of the fuel and oil prices on November 17, 2018 in Haulchien near Valenciennes, northern France.
Some protests ended up in scuffles with police.
"The protesters were united in two things: the first was the symbol of their protest, the yellow vest they were wearing; and the second was that they were angry and frustrated at the president in the hike of petrol and diesel", Barker said.
The nationwide protest was unusual due to its grassroots origins.
MICHEL EULER APThe placard reads"get upset too many taxes too much suicide too many homeless people wake
The amateur nature of the protests, often spontaneous and therefore illegal, made it tricky for police, who had orders to use dialogue instead of force but to stop protesters from completely blocking major routes.
Diesel prices have surged 23% over the past year and it's President Macron who's taking the blame.
"This is what we were anxious about. unorganised demonstrations by people who aren't necessarily used to such things", Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a statement. Taxes on diesel fuel have risen 7 euro cents (nearly 8 US cents) and are to keep climbing in the coming years, Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne has said.
Many drivers see them as emblematic of a presidency disconnected from day-to-day economic difficulties and serving the rich.
The popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron has dropped to just 25 percent, according to a poll by research group Ifop published on Sunday in the Journal du Dimanche.
Protesters took over the Place de la Concorde at the bottom of the avenue, shouting "Macron resign", in reference to President Emmanuel Macron, as police looked on.
Robert Tichit, 67, a retiree, referred to the president as "King Macron".
The backlash is the latest confrontation between Mr Macron and voters, mostly based in the countryside and provincial towns and cities, who view the former investment banker as the representative of a remote urban elite.
