The current “Yellow vests” protest is taking place in France. As time is passing by the protests is becoming bigger and dramatic. It has been 3 weeks since the people in France are on roads protesting.
The Yellow vests protests have been marked as the worst riot in Paris. The protest that started online is now being seen on the streets of Paris and other cities of France.
As a result of the protest, several died while hundreds lay injured. There are many who have been arrested as they were found guilty of damaging peace and public property of the country.
Why did it start?
Well, France has been implementing a fuel tax since decades. Since 2014, it has imposed an automatic increase in this tax so that people would be motivated to move in public transports rather than their own vehicles as mass transit services tend to pollute the environment less than a private mode of traveling. Also, such a tax would help France not to foresee energy crisis.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, says that we (the nation) shall value other modes of mobility and other ways of doing things.
However, France is among the countries of the world where the tax rates are highest. With more taxes, the quality of life of people is at stake. People are protesting as high fuel prices tend to increase prices of other goods and services which has an immense effect on the cost of living.
Soon, the angry citizens started using social media to protest against the high fuel prices. Then the campaign grew bigger as they started signing petitions against it. Slowly and gradually, people were motivated to speak up against the burden imposed by the government.
Awareness campaigns were seen all around France. Then in Paris and other parts of the country, people turned out in huge numbers to show their anger. They were wearing Yellow Vests to distinguish themselves.
One of the protestors claimed that such taxes are monetized form of slavery. The government makes them work and only work and in the end, they have few left for themselves.
What is the reaction of the Government?
The government has suspended the fuel tax for now, yet this did not cool down the angry protestors who said that suspension was by no means a solution. The government tends to put taxes, then suspends them but have no vision for employment, said an elderly protester.
Where are things heading to?
The things aren’t good in Paris and France in general. What started as a fuel tax protest has taken a bigger vision. People are now complaining against the working environment and higher cost of living in France. It is as though people want all their matters settled via the protest.
What do people want now?
People want the president and his cabinet to step down as they deem he is not capable of running the country!
