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Yellow vest movement
Why is it in news?
- The “Yellow Vests” protests in Paris have been called the worst riots to hit the French capital since the turbulent 1960s.
Yellow vest movement
Meaning -
- The protest movement, known as “gilets jaunes” in French and “Yellow Vests” or “Yellow Jackets” in English.
- It takes its name from the high visibility vests typically worn by construction workers operating near traffic.
- French drivers are required to keep the vests in their cars in case of emergency, and they’ve been worn by protesters seeking to draw attention to their demonstrations.
Why protesting -
- They are a popular movement of no clear political view or ideology.
- Their apparent ignition point was a rise in fuel taxes, engineered by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
- The plan was to wean France off fossil fuels by making them more expensive, and to encourage the use of renewable sources.
- Protest against an environmentally motivated raise in gas taxes.
- Since then, people have joined the movement over economic struggles faced by middle- and working-class French people under President Emmanuel Macron.
Organisation and reach of movement -
- The protests are chiefly organized using social media rather than being led by any formal, organized parties, unions, or other groups.
- Protesters reportedly come from all over the political spectrum and from across France, including many suburbanites and rural dwellers fed up with rising prices and stagnant wages.
- The ad hoc structure has made negotiating with protest leaders a challenge for government officials.
- The protests are supported by 72% of the French population, according to a Harris Interactive poll.
Source
The Hindu, fastcompany