'We just cannot afford to drive'

One who did emerge was Thierry Paul Valette, founder of the Égalité Nationale movement which fights corruption in public life. “All we want is an immediate drop in taxes at the pumps,” he said.

“The French feel they are being taxed and taxed and taxed, and when fuel prices shot up as tax rose, it was the drop which caused the vase to overflow.”

Mr Valette said political parties, unions and other institutions were not included in the gilets jaunes movement “as they are part of the problem”.

He said comparisons showing petrol was more expensive in real terms 40 years ago did not address the feeling of being over-taxed.

Another leader to emerge was Jacline Mouraud, pictured, from Ploërmel, Morbihan, who says she earns around €1,000 a month as a hypnotherapist. She made an impassioned plea to President Macron on YouTube against the rises.

“I drive 25,000 km a year, almost all of which is work-related,” she said. All the taxes that we have to pay now make it impossible for people like me, and others who are worse off, to live decently.

“For me, the fuel price rise was just too much and it is obvious that others feel the same. It is no good offering incentives to buy a new car when people struggle to put fuel in the one they have.”

Many accused President Macron as being a ‘president of the rich.’

In spite of the antipathy towards politicians from the gilets jaunes, representatives of both the far right Rassemblement National and the far left France Insoumise attended the demonstrations.

Les Républicains’ leader in Charente François Bonneau said leaders showed their backing for the protesters. He criticised the government for “punishing” owners of diesel vehicles, saying current measures were hitting rural areas particularly hard.