Gilets jaunes

Gilets jaunes group calls for new regular protests starting Saturday

Organisers say they want to address the rising cost of living, pension reform among other issues. Social media interest however so far appears low

French roundabouts are also about revolution of a political kind

France has more roundabouts than any other country – we trace their history and how they have come to symbolise deep worries about French cultural identity

New French law allows speed cameras to be decided at local level

The law, prompted by the gilets jeunes protests, allows French communes to have a say on local wind turbine plans

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Paris police ban anti-vaccine pass ‘freedom convoy’ as hundreds on way

The Canada-inspired movement is also motivated by the same cost of living concerns which sparked the first gilets jaunes protests in 2018

Who are the gilets jaunes today?

A core group of gilets jaunes protesters are refusing to let diminished turnout deter them as they continue to demonstrate, mainly in Paris

200 Covid health pass protests planned across France this Saturday

Authorities expect 250,000 protesters to attend in cities including Paris and Toulon – the largest number to date

French citizens’ convention ‘direct democracy’ does not work

Strong leadership is required to revitalise policies in France and not ‘gimmicks’, as French Citizens’ Climate Convention vote on government proposals

France backtracks on petrol price tax hike

The issue that sparked the gilets jaunes movement is back in the spotlight as the government sends mixed messages over fuel prices.

French resort to demo riots

Bob Craske ( Letters, November issue ) paints a dystopian picture of Britain and refers to “political vandalism and viciousness” and “a violent and polarised country”.

Gilets jaunes and Brexit deny France tourism record

The golden 100million figure may well be reached by the time of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, but popularity is not eternal, writes award-winning French-Algerian journalist Nabila Ramdani in her latest column for Connexion

Policing of marches ‘eroding civil rights’ in France

A stronger police presence at protest marches is beginning to erode the civil right to demonstrate in France, a human rights campaigner has told Connexion .

Nationwide pension reform protests cripple France

Marches and demonstrations throughout the day are set to cause disruption for members of the public

Pension reform in France 'a response to gilets jaunes'

Government spokesperson under fire for comments made during TV interview

MPs ignored suburban and rural France at their peril

Mathematician Hervé Le Bras, emeritus researcher at France’s Institute for Demographic Studies and director of research at the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, gives his verdict on the gilets jaunes and migration

Gilets jaunes anniversary sparks unrest in France

More than 28,000 people came out to march across France this weekend to mark the first anniversary of the gilets jaunes movement, with the event marred by violence and unrest in some areas.

Gilets Jaunes - a sign of France's turbulent times

Sociologist Jean-Claude Kaufmann explains why no one should be surprised at the rise of the grassroots' movement

Gilets jaunes crisis ‘foreseeable’: Brigitte Macron

The gilets jaunes crisis was “foreseeable”, Brigitte Macron, wife of President Emmanuel Macron, has said seven months after the start of the movement, admitting that she “was scared for France”.

Asian visitors boost French tourism

A surge in visitors from Asia helped France retain its crown as the most-visited country in the world in 2018, new figures show.

Tourists avoid France and gilets jaunes

Gilets jaunes protests and the violence televised worldwide have been blamed for a fall in tourists in the first quarter of 2019 – with visits down 4.8%.

French Mutuelles targeted to boost spending power

Customers will soon be able to cancel a mutuelle top-up health insurance contract at any time after the first year – a move expected to boost spending power by up to €1.2billion a year.

France now more attractive to foreign money than China

France is now more attractive than China for foreign investment, according to an annual classification of the top five most attractive investment countries worldwide.

Toulouse hostage-taker gunman charged and detained

A young man who took four women hostage in a bar-tabac in Blagnac near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) has been charged and detained pending judgement, prosecutors have confirmed.

Hostages freed and young gunman arrested in Toulouse

All four of the people taken hostage during an attack yesterday (May 7) by a gunman in Blagnac, near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) have now been freed, and the 17-year-old perpetrator arrested.

French culture supports gilets jaunes as numbers drop

More than 1,400 actors and other cultural figures across France - including Juliette Binoche - have condemned the crackdown on the gilets jaunes , even as protest numbers dwindled this weekend.

French president pledges €5bn in tax cuts but...

President Macron offered new measures in his speech in response to the Grand Débat but failed to impress the gilets jaunes – and many of the general public.

Macron gambles on majority choosing his way over GJ’s

After President Macron’s address to the French people on 25 April – delayed by 10 days because of the terrible fire at Notre-Dame de Paris – only one question needed to be asked: had he done enough?

Police prep Paris for May 1 amid gilets jaunes threat

An “exceptional number” of 7,400 police and gendarmerie have been stationed in Paris in anticipation of today’s May 1 protest marches, in context of the radicalised gilets jaunes and "black bloc" movement.

Will gilets jaunes be standing in EU elections?

With three days to go before the final candidates’ lists for the European elections must be lodged with the Interior Ministry there is still uncertainty over whether there will be a list, or lists, for the gilets jaunes (GJ).

France reacts to divisive President press conference

France is reacting to an address given by President Emmanuel Macron last night (April 25), with gilets jaunes saying he has “thrown us breadcrumbs”, and critics saying he has “reopened” the political crisis.

French fireman sentenced for Acte 23 ‘black bloc’ bag

A French firefighter suspected of plans to dress as a violent “black bloc” protester during last weekend’s gilets jaunes movement has been handed a ten-month suspended sentence.

Union condemns ban on journalist from protests

Video reporter vows to ignore court order and carry on filming demonstrations on the ground

Gilets jaunes branded ‘disgrace’ after weekend clashes

Gilets jaunes protesters have been branded a “disgrace” by the government after a weekend of unrest that saw shops smashed, cars burned, and security forces told to “kill themselves” by some protesters.

French household buying power to rise by €850 in 2019

The buying power of the average French household is to rise by €850 over the course of this year, a new economic study has found.

Amnesty demands repeal of France's anti-vandal law

Human rights organisation condemns controversial loi anti-casseurs - passed in response to violence at gilets jaunes protests - as 'a totally ad hoc law passed in haste'

France electricity bills rise to €1,000 per household

Average electricity bills in France could rise as high as €1,000 per household per year in June, as the bill freeze imposed by the government at the peak of the gilets jaunes movement is set to end.

Who will lead VI Republic?

What is going on in France today is unprecedented in the EU history. The majority of the population supports the gilets jaunes movement in one way or another.

It’s time to redress balance of opinion

Connexion's articles and readers’ contributions should be balanced.

Fewer ‘gilets jaunes’ across France for 21st weekend

Just over 22,300 people came out for the 21st gilets jaunes protest across France this weekend, which saw the lowest numbers since the movement began, according to official figures.

‘Speed cameras of future’ to be installed in France

Hundreds of new generation “speed cameras of the future” are to be installed in France this year, and have been described as stronger and smarter than existing models.

Drop in gilets jaunes as France enacts protest bans

There was a drop in gilets jaunes protesters in France this weekend, with 33,700 in total - according to official figures - as many cities enacted their protest bans in anticipation of escalating violence.

Gilets jaunes protester fined over illegal demos

Éric Drouet claimed he had 'no role as an organiser or leader' in planned protests on December 22 and January 2

Gilets Jaunes again banned from Champs-Elysées

Protesters forbidden from demonstrating on Paris street for the second Saturday in a row

Show of strength is sign of government in desperation

Too little, too late?

Macron was weak with French gilets jaunes

- and institutionalised rioting is the result

French Grand Débat gathers 2 million ideas...

... but gilets jaunes run own version

Film reveals Gilets Jaunes protesters’ untold stories

A film about the gilets jaunes movement comes to cinemas on April 3, showing what life has been like for the people who decided to don a yellow jacket and regularly meet up on roundabouts and makeshift camps across France.

Decades of inequality lie behind French protests

After four months of weekly gilets jaunes protests, some of which have turned violent, the end is still not in sight.

Activist, 73, injured during gilets jaunes protest

Genevieve Legay suffered skull fractures in incident at demonstration, daughter says

Army back-up for police at gilets jaunes protests

Meanwhile, Nice bans protests ahead of President Macron's meeting with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping

President Macron ‘€2,000 bottle of wine’ post debunked

Claims that French President Emmanuel Macron was “drinking a €2,000 bottle of wine while Paris was burning” have been debunked, after a Facebook post and photo on the issue went viral.

Gilets jaunes leader condemns ‘cowardly’ home attack

A house and car belonging to Eric Drouet - one of the so-called “leaders” of the gilets jaunes movement, have been vandalised - in a move that he has called “very cowardly”.

French PM announces new measures on protest violence

Five new strict measures on protests in France have been announced by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, in the wake of renewed violence during gilets jaunes demonstrations on Saturday March 16.

Gilets Jaunes: Macron vows action after more violence

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe due to meet President on Monday to discuss official responses to the latest violence

Gilets jaunes: Paris Acte 18 protests turn violent

More than 200 people were arrested in Paris this weekend after Acte 18 of the gilets jaunes protests turned violent, with shops smashed, and fires lit on the Champs-Élysées.

Gilets jaunes plan Paris ‘ultimatum’ march for Acte 18

Gilets jaunes protesters across France plan to present an “ultimatum” to President Emmanuel Macron for “ Acte 18 ” tomorrow (Saturday March 16), as the Grand Débat ends, and more protests begin.

France sees fewer protests ahead of final Grand Débat

This weekend’s gilets jaunes protests - on the 17th consecutive Saturday of the movement - attracted a new low of 26,600 people across France, on the last weekend before the symbolic final Grand Débat .

United Nations places France on police violence list

The United Nations has launched an inquiry into the use of excessive violence towards protesters, citing France during the gilets jaunes protests as an example, alongside Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Haiti.

Fuel rises don’t hit poorest - they don’t have cars

In the beginning, the gilets jaunes protests were said to highlight a divided nation – rich cities versus poor rural areas, but is that too simplistic?

Gilets jaunes: Movement pledges ‘big month’ of action

Fewer people came out across France for this Saturday’s Acte 16 gilets jaunes protests, in the same week as some movement leaders have called for a “big month” of action in March.

Boost to buying power

Three-quarters of households are set to see a rise in purchasing power this year, with an average boost of €440, due in part to the measures introduced after the gilets jaunes protests.

France must stop LBD use during protests, Europe says

France should review and stop its use of “ lanceurs de balles de défense (LBD)” rubber bullet guns as soon as possible, the Council of Europe human rights commissioner has said.

Gilets jaunes: Rise in numbers on 15th protest weekend

There was a rise in the number of gilets jaunes protesters across France this weekend, as 46,600 people - including 5,800 in Paris - were counted on the 15th consecutive Saturday of the movement.

Gilets jaunes: Numbers drop amid renewed violence

Around 41,500 protesters came out across France this weekend for Acte 14 of the gilets jaunes movement, according to government figures, marking a drop in support amid some fresh violence.

Support for gilets jaunes dips below 50% - survey

Meanwhile, boxer who assaulted two police officers during protest has been sentenced

Gilets jaunes: Acte 13 protest marked by severe injury

Official figures show that around 51,400 people came out for the Acte 13 gilets jaunes protests this weekend, with major incidents in Paris including one protester who had a hand “torn off”.

CGT strike hailed as first gilets jaunes-union move

Up to 300,000 people across France joined the CGT union general strike protest yesterday, according to union figures, marking the first significant collaboration between unions and gilets jaunes protesters.

French Assemblée votes in divisive ‘anti-vandal’ law

The French Assemblée Nationale has voted in a controversial new “anti-vandal” bill by 387 to 92, in response to the violence seen during some of the gilets jaunes protests since November.

Thatcherite Macron...

I have never read such a negative comment on the gilets jaunes as the letter (January edition) from Ms Lebreton-Travis.

Poetic history repeats itself

The situation in France today: a president who thinks or thought he was “royally” above the overtaxed people recalls the peasants’ revolt in mediæval England.

Sympathy for protesters in France

It is easy to understand the frustration that led to the gilets jaunes protests. People had had enough of inaction by successive presidents to ensure everyone had a living wage.

CGT strike disrupts Paris attractions and schools

A general strike is taking place in Paris today (Tuesday February 5), affecting some tourist sites and local schools, after union CGT called for a march for buying power and a fairer taxation system.

Amazon sacks staff 'for supporting gilets jaunes'

CGT union calls for reinstatement of about 10 workers who were fired for 'serious misconduct'

Gilets jaunes: Numbers drop but violence condemned

Around 58,600 gilets jaunes marched in France on the 12th consecutive Saturday this weekend, with 5,400 counted in the Drôme town of Valence alone, and many condemning police violence in particular.

French households’ buying power up by €440 per year

Three quarters of households in France are set to see a rise in their buying power, with an average boost of €440 per year, due in part to the measures introduced after the gilets jaunes protests.

French town preps for major protest as tensions mount

The mayor of Valence (Drôme) is preparing for up to 10,000 gilet jaunes protesters this weekend, after a visit by President Macron and the firing of a local Amazon worker heightened tensions in the area.