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France suspends fuel tax rise after wave of violent protests Gilets jaunes to continue protests in France despite fuel tax U-turn
(about 3 hours later)
The French government has suspended plans to introduce an eco-fuel tax after three weeks of increasingly violent protests across the country. France’s gilets jaunes (yellow vests) have vowed to continue their high-profile protest campaign after forcing the French government into a humiliating U-turn over a controversial fuel tax rise.
Bowing to pressure from the street, the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, also announced an immediate freeze on gas and electricity prices, but he warned further violence would not be tolerated. The movement behind three weeks of increasingly violent protests across the country declared it wanted more concessions from the country’s leaders and would not accept “crumbs”.
Philippe’s announcement came after he met cabinet ministers on Tuesday morning to agree a response to a weekend of rioting, looting and destruction in Paris by an extreme fringe of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement. The Guardian view on the gilets jaunes: Macron needs to regain his popular touch | Editorial
The tax on petrol and diesel, due to increase next month in a move towards cleaner fuels, had prompted national demonstrations that quickly grew to encompass wider anger and frustration at the country’s leaders. Although the protests were sparked by the planned rise in fuel taxes next month, the gilets jaunes movement has grown to encompass wider anger and frustration against the political elite in Paris in general and the president, Emmanuel Macron, and his government in particular.
On Tuesday, the prime minister, Édouard Philippe, bowed to pressure from the street and announced the fuel tax rises were being suspended for six months. He also announced an immediate freeze on gas and electricity prices, but warned further violence would not be tolerated.
Philippe’s announcement came after he met cabinet ministers on Tuesday morning to agree a response to a weekend of rioting, looting and destruction in Paris by an extreme fringe of the gilets jaunes movement.
Who are the gilets jaunes and what do they want?Who are the gilets jaunes and what do they want?
The president, Emmanuel Macron, had repeatedly vowed not to give in to street rule, but has been forced to reconsider after the worst violence in Paris in half a century. Macron had repeatedly vowed not to give in to street rule, but has been forced to reconsider after the worst violence in Paris in half a century.
“Thousands of French have expressed their anger,” Philippe said in a televised statement. “This anger goes back a long way and has often remained silent. Today it’s being expressed with force and in a collective way.” “Thousands of French have expressed their anger,” Philippe said in a televised statement. “This anger goes back a long way and has often remained silent. Today it’s being expressed with force and in a collective way.
He added: “One would have to be deaf and blind not to see or hear this. I hear this anger and I have understood its basis, its force and its seriousness. It is the anger of the French who work and work hard, but still have difficulty making ends meet, who find their backs against the wall. “One would have to be deaf and blind not to see or hear this. I hear this anger and I have understood its basis, its force and its seriousness. It is the anger of the French who work and work hard, but still have difficulty making ends meet, who find their backs against the wall. They have a sense of profound injustice at not being able to live a dignified life when they are working.
“They have a sense of profound injustice at not being able to live a dignified life when they are working.”
The prime minister announced that two controversial measures due to be introduced next month, the increase in fuel prices and new tougher rules on vehicle checks, would be suspended for six months.
He also promised consultations on possible measures to help those who work far from home and changes in the tax system, which he said was complex and the most onerous in Europe.
“If events of the last days have shown anything, it is that the French do not want any more taxes or charges. No tax merits putting in danger national unity.”“If events of the last days have shown anything, it is that the French do not want any more taxes or charges. No tax merits putting in danger national unity.”
We’d like to hear your experiences and reaction to the gilets jaunes demonstrations. Do you support them? How do you feel about the rioting that has taken place? If you have taken part, we’d also like to hear from you.We’d like to hear your experiences and reaction to the gilets jaunes demonstrations. Do you support them? How do you feel about the rioting that has taken place? If you have taken part, we’d also like to hear from you.
You can get in touch by filling in this encrypted form.You can get in touch by filling in this encrypted form.
Your responses will only be seen by the Guardian and we’ll be in touch if we are considering your response as part of our reporting. You can read terms of service here.Your responses will only be seen by the Guardian and we’ll be in touch if we are considering your response as part of our reporting. You can read terms of service here.
It remains to be seen whether the measures are enough to calm the volatile situation in France that resulted in parts of one of the most exclusive areas of Paris being set on fire on Saturday as protesters torched cars and buildings and looted luxury goods stores around the Champs Élysées and Arc de Triomphe. The measures were dismissed as insufficient by protesters and threatened to inflame an already volatile situation that resulted in cars and buildings being torched, iron railings being pulled down at the Tuileries Gardens and the looting of luxury goods stores around the Champs Élysées and Arc de Triomphe on Saturday. The gilets jaunes have called for a further protest in Paris this Saturday.
The gilets jaunes have called for a further protest in Paris this Saturday.
Philippe said the right and freedom to demonstrate was “fundamental in France”, but added: “We will not accept the violence we saw last weekend. If there is a new day of mobilisation, it must be declared [registered with police in advance] and happen calmly.”Philippe said the right and freedom to demonstrate was “fundamental in France”, but added: “We will not accept the violence we saw last weekend. If there is a new day of mobilisation, it must be declared [registered with police in advance] and happen calmly.”
The interior minister, Christophe Castaner, said 65,000 police and gendarmes were drafted in to deal with protests across France last Saturday and more would be mobilised to deal with demonstrations this coming weekend. He made an appeal in the senate to peaceful protesters: I’m asking the reasonable gilets jaunes to distance themselves from the extremes and not to gather in Paris next Saturday.”
On Monday, Macron held an emergency meeting at the Élysée Palace to deal with the political and social crisis, the most serious since he was elected on a centrist, reforming programme in May 2017.On Monday, Macron held an emergency meeting at the Élysée Palace to deal with the political and social crisis, the most serious since he was elected on a centrist, reforming programme in May 2017.
Stanislas Guerini, the leader of Macron’s La République En Marche parliamentary group, told French radio: “While there’s a debate, we stop writing, have a pause … there has to be a pause so the debate can happen.”Stanislas Guerini, the leader of Macron’s La République En Marche parliamentary group, told French radio: “While there’s a debate, we stop writing, have a pause … there has to be a pause so the debate can happen.”
Philippe was due to meet representatives from the gilets jaunes on Tuesday afternoon, but the meeting was cancelled after the unofficial representatives were allegedly threatened and disowned by other protesters.Philippe was due to meet representatives from the gilets jaunes on Tuesday afternoon, but the meeting was cancelled after the unofficial representatives were allegedly threatened and disowned by other protesters.
The protest movement, which has no central organisation or leaders, has broadened its demands to include Macron’s resignation and the dissolution of the French parliament. The movement, which has no central organisation or leaders, has broadened its demands to include Macron’s resignation and the dissolution of the French parliament. Benjamin Cauchy, a gilets jaunes spokesperson said: “The French are not sparrows and don’t want the crumbs the government is giving them. They want the baguette.”
Benjamin Cauchy, a spokesperson for the gilets jaunes libres (free yellow vests) subgroup, said the movement’s demands included a redistribution of wealth as well as rises in salaries, pensions, social security payments and the minimum wage. He insisted the dialogue between the government and protesters did not have to be face to face. The movement’s demands included a redistribution of wealth as well as rises in salaries, pensions, social security payments and the minimum wage. Cauchy insisted the dialogue between the government and protesters did not have to be face to face.
“This is the 21st century and dialogue can happen by social networks and the media even without a meeting,” Cauchy said. “This started with ecological transition but what France wants is political transition.” He said protests should be “pacifist”.“This is the 21st century and dialogue can happen by social networks and the media even without a meeting,” Cauchy said. “This started with ecological transition but what France wants is political transition.” He said protests should be “pacifist”.
Macron has postponed a two-day visit to Serbia this week to deal with the crisis. On Saturday, police fought running battles with masked protesters who painted graffiti on the Arc de Triomphe, pulled down iron railings at the Tuileries Gardens, torched cars, set fire to buildings and looted luxury stores. Macron has postponed a two-day visit to Serbia this week to deal with the crisis. Around France, the protests continued as demonstrators in high visibility fluorescent jackets took over a motorway toll booth near the southern city of Aubagne, letting vehicles pass for free. Students protesting against education reforms blocked about 100 schools around the country, according to the education ministry.
Police arrested 378 people. Officers said many were older males – aged between 30 and 40 – from outside the French capital who had come intending to fight police. The football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier, scheduled for Saturday, was postponed after police said they could not guarantee security at the same time as protests.
Police have arrested 378 people. Officers said many were older males – aged between 30 and 40 – from outside the French capital who had come to fight police.
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Emmanuel MacronEmmanuel Macron
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