Three months after the start of the "Yellow West protests" in France, thousands of people have once again taken to the streets in the capital city of Paris. The protests were triggered by plans to increase fuel taxes on Nov. 17 and were held on Saturday for the 14th time in a row.
Unlike previous protest marches marked by massive violence, it remained peaceful. Many other cities also hosted "Yellow West" demonstrations, including Marseilles, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.
"I've been on twelve of the 14 times and I can not stand this rotten system anymore," said 44-year-old Christophe before the protest march in Paris took the Champs Elysée down the Seine.
Nurse Marion told AFP that she had participated in almost all demonstrations. The "big debate" initiated by President Emmanuel Macron described it as "sand in the eye". "We will not attend," she said (read more on this topic).
DPA
People take part in a "yellow west" demonstration in Paris.
Protesters accuse Macron of politics for the rich
Many "yellow vests" accuse the head of state of a policy for the rich and the disregard of the socially weaker. Under the pressure of the protests, Macron decided on a series of reforms and launched a national debate to discuss with citizens about their demands. While these concessions are not enough for many "yellow vests", a certain amount of fatigue sets in three months after the movement starts.
For the first time, according to a poll by Elabe, a majority of 56 percent of the French want an end to the protests. In addition, the number of protesters is falling back, according to the police: So last week nationwide only 51,400 people took part in the protests. According to police, 110 "yellow vests" gathered in Strasbourg this Saturday, while in Nice, around 50 demonstrators gathered in the city center.
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