Paris in lockdown as France braces for new anti-Macron riots

[ansible]

Source: France 24

Paris was in lockdown early on Saturday with thousands of French security forces braced to meet renewed rioting by "yellow vest" protesters in the capital and other cities in a fourth weekend of confrontation over living costs. The Eiffel Tower and other tourist landmarks were shut, shops were boarded up to avoid looting and street furniture removed to avoid metal bars from being used as projectiles.

About 89,000 police were deployed across the country. Of these, about 8,000 were deployed in Paris to avoid a repeat of last Saturday's mayhem when rioters torched cars and looted shops off the famed Champs Elysees boulevard, and defaced the Arc de Triomphe with graffiti directed at President Emmanuel Macron.

Protesters, using social media, have billed the weekend as "Act IV" in a dramatic challenge to Macron and his policies. The protests, named after the high-visibility safety jackets French motorists have to keep in their cars, erupted in November over the squeeze on household budgets caused by fuel taxes.

Demonstrations have since swelled into a broad, sometimes-violent rebellion against Macron - a challenge made more difficult to handle since the movement has no formal leader.



Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/20181208-paris-lockdown-france-yellow-vests-gilets-jaunes-anti-macron-riots-protests

[nitpicker]

1. Link to live thread from The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2018/dec/08/paris-on-lockdown-amid-ongoing-gilet-jaunes-protests-live-updates

[oberliner]

3. Thank you for adding that link

Shame the US media isn't giving this story more coverage.

[Rene]

7. This rioting and Drumpf chants are very suspiciousl

Find out who is financing and leading this riot bullshit. This is all Drumpf revenge against Macron...the better man. Same about unrest in Canada. Drumpf pettiness is at the root....and he's probably got hired minions organizing these horrid events.

[PassingFair]

13. No one in France is chanting "We want Trump"

Video of a ridiculous right wing gathering in LONDON last June is being tweeted around as if it happened in present day Paris.

[orangecrush]

17. FSB

This is Putin's m.o.

[Rollo]

29. My thought exactly...

Who benefits most from destabilizing a traditional European democracy?

Putin and his criminal oligachy, that's who.

Putin's operatives engineered Brexit... they've sowed unrest throughout Europe. This is, essentially, no different from the Cold War machinations of the Soviet Bloc.

[orangecrush]

46. The FSB/GRU

Have learned to use both far left and far right to destabilize.

[Mz Pip]

25. Not in France

Those clips are from far right protestors in London.

[oberliner]

2. Shows no signs of slowing down

I wonder how this will finally resolve itself.

[still_one]

5. The government will have no choice but to crack down hard against the violence. This protest

started out as a non-violent one, but I suspect that it is elements from the extreme left and right that have infiltrated into the group, and incited the violence

While Macron's government may not survive this, perhaps neither will the initial intent of the protesters.

I think one of the most dangerous situations the world faces at this time is the growing extreme right wing movement spreading across the world at this time.

It has echos of pre-nazi Europe written all over it.

[JudyM]

14. The extreme right is definitely of great concern. We need to organize against it, like this...

Democracy Now: Yanis Varoufakis & Bernie Sanders Launch New Global Movement Against Far Right

Published on Dec 7, 2018
https://democracynow.org - The far right is rising in Europe, most recently in Spain, where the anti-immigrant, anti-abortion Vox party won multiple seats in a regional parliamentary election in Andalusia on Sunday. It was the first successful election for the far right in Spain since the country returned to democracy in the 1970s after the death of fascist military dictator Francisco Franco. We speak with economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who is launching a movement with Senator Bernie Sanders and others to fight right-wing forces around the globe.

Transcript:
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/12/7/progressive_international_yanis_varoufakis_berni

[appalachiablue]

31. Good discussion, I watched it live.

[JudyM]

33. We need coordinated action to combat theirs.

What evil lurks in their hearts. This is turning into a classic battle for the ages.

[christx30]

6. The protestors are either going to have to

capitulate, or they are going to have to attack the security forces directly. Torches and pitchforks. Macron is going to crack down hard. He’s not going to tolerate any dissent, and he’s going to continue to screw over the French people as long as he’s allowed to do so. France has a wonderful tradition of revolution and using the guillotine on elites.

[still_one]

10. The security forces have no choice, they have to stop the violence and vandalism.

Last edited Sat Dec 8, 2018, 12:11 PM - Edit history (1)

The yellow jackets started as a non-violent protest, but others with intention of inciting violence have taken advantage of that, and while Macron bears responsibility for ignoring the initial protests, now that the violence and vandalism that has come about from it, no government would tolerate that.

Probably Macron will go down, and a lot of innocents will be hurt in the process, but the most concerning thing will be that the emergence of lePen and the extreme right wing might just take over. France sure has a history of it.

[christx30]

11. It was supposed to be security forces

and not death unity forces. Have corrected it.
But if Le Pen rises because of it, Macron has no one to blame but himself. Imposing the crap he’s doing, and expecting everyone to just accept it is no way to run things. People are tired of being screwed over by their governments. Everyone has a breaking point, and the Yello Vest people have reached theirs.
I support the protestors. I’d send them money, if I could.

[NickB79]

15. Thanks for killing the climate, then

Climate change is poised to devastate the planet, and you're sending money to the protestors angry at taxes on the very fossil fuels responsible for it.

You can't stop climate change without making fossil fuels expensive to burn. Either hurt now, or watch your children and grandchildren hurt WAY more.

[Auggie]

18. Is it right to judge the protest and protesters on face value?

What if fossil fuel interests are sponsoring the most violent protestors?

What if it's Russia?

This started out peaceful. Somebody could be stoking the fire.

[.99center]

30. It was started by "Anger Groups" on Facebook

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/france-paris-yellow-jackets-facebook
The "Yellow Jackets" Riots In France Are What Happens When Facebook Gets Involved With Local News

On Oct. 15, a group was started called “Stop the fuel at the price of gold” and it shared the MesOpinions petition. The page has since changed its named to “France in Anger” and received 17.3 million total interactions since October, according to another social media intelligence tool, CrowdTangle. All 10 of the currently most popular public Anger Groups, according to CrowdTangle, were started the same week that Ludosky went on the radio and the second petition went viral.

On Oct. 22, Le Parisien wrote up Ludosky’s petition from May, which at that point still hadn’t actually received that much attention, especially compared to the Facebook traffic the MesOpinions petition was receiving at the time. But after the Le Parisien article, Ludosky’s petition finally jumped from 10,000 signatures to 225,000. The article itself also went viral. In a subsequent piece on Oct. 24, Le Parisien bragged that Ludosky’s original petition didn’t get any attention until it was written up by the paper two days earlier.

<snip>

Anger Groups have always been huge hubs for fake news and general fringe-internet nonsense. The newfound national attention is making things even worse. According to the about page for “Citizens in Anger,” its true goal is to defend France against a Masonic cabal of global bankers who control France. It currently has 15,000 members.

Among the first posts shared by “France in Anger,” one of the public groups with the most engagement right now, is a post that, according to Snopes, has been bouncing around the internet since at least 2017, and claims a million Germans abandoned their cars and walked through the streets to protest increased fuel prices. They didn’t, and the accompanying photo is most likely from a 2010 traffic jam in China.

Link to tweet

[christx30]

19. Macron cut taxes on businesses

and plugged holes in the budget by taxing the shit out of workers supporting their families. Some of them are paying up to 40% of their income already. They can bearly afford to make ends meet and are going into debt. There is real anger there. Now, Macron wants to put a heavy increase on fuel taxes. Fuel that people need to survive.
I’d be pissed as hell. As someone that works his tail off for what little I have, I don’t need someone else’s mistakes to fall on my back.

[NickB79]

21. And I don't want the mistakes of our generation to fall on my daughter's back

She's only 8. The shit she will see in her life, the shit she'll have to struggle through, as civilization rips itself apart thanks to climate change, makes me wake up in a cold sweat some nights.

We either suffer now to ensure a livable planet for future generations, or kick the can down the road another few years and doom billions to an early death. There is no foreseeable way forward to a sustainable future that doesn't involve a lot of sacrifices from the current generation. It sucks, a lot, and I honestly don't think enough people will step up to save our asses, to be honest.

[Recursion]

28. Even with the gas tax increase, gas is cheaper now than when Macron took office

The energy demands are a fig leaf, and anyways they're all over the place: they want higher taxes on marine fuel and diesel.

[Marrah_Goodman]

24. easy for you to say

Some of us in fact probably most of us, need to have a vehicle. Our country is not set up for mass transit outside the city. For those of us who are poor your idea of hurting would leave us stranded and isolated.

[still_one]

16. I'll also edit my post accordingly. No doubt Macron is to blame for the uncompromising position

of the government, and deterioration of what is happening, but at the same time what started as a peaceful protest I am afraid has involved others whose intention was never peaceful. While Macron has responsibility for contributing to that, the end result I am afraid has a fair chance to result in Le Pen.

Look what happened after 9/11 here. A large number of the populace were all for the IWR, the patriot act, etc.

[christx30]

20. Governments should be beholden to their people.

They should listen to popular sentiment and not impose things on their people for “everyone’s own good”.
A government is supposed to foster liberty and the persuit of happiness. Any government that is violent to those interests should be torn down.

[still_one]

22. That is what elections are for. When you use words like "the government should be torn down", I

Last edited Sat Dec 8, 2018, 03:20 PM - Edit history (1)

certainly hope you are not advocated violence or a violent over through of a Democratically elected government

[rockfordfile]

42. So you support the fascists ? That's who Russia and trump supports

Don't forget the racists like Steve King and others.

[christx30]

48. I support people that are tired of being

screwed by their governments. “I pay 40% of my check in taxes, and they want more. I can’t afford to drive to my job. What am I supposed to do? Walk 20+ miles to my job?”
Macron cut taxes for big businesses, and put the burden on working class people. Why not show compassion for them instead of trying to drain them until they can’t afford to live?
“I’m going to tax you bastards back to the Stone Age” is never going to get my vote.

[LanternWaste]

56. Then you're simply repeating what you're told to repeat

"I support people that are tired of being screwed by their governments..."

Then you're simply repeating what you're told to repeat, void of detail, empty of context and lacking any nuance. But you get to tell people the lines you've been fed, so you have that going for you.

[christx30]

57. I've given details.

High taxes, with more and more piled on top. Taxes are supposed to pay for vital government services. Everyone paying into a pot to pay for services that we, alone, can’t pay for. It’s not to hurt people and make it hard to support yourself and your family on purpose.
And you are in favor of hurting working class people for political reasons. Dems used be the friend of the worker. Helping people. Why should anyone that works to support a family vote your way? Are you going to offer assistance to the people that are hurting? Or is your attitude going to be, “sucks to be you. You shouldn’t be driving”?
Know why we’re losing a bunch right now? Arrogance like yours.

[rockfordfile]

37. If the far right right fascists take over France, then it should be boycotted

[still_one]

39. sure, but until we get rid of our fascist in the WH, that is unlikely. Hopefully, my speculation is

wrong about le Pen, and the people of France won't let that happen

[Recursion]

27. The protestors are right-wing ethno-nationalist scum.

Don't fall for the act.

[still_one]

32. I don't think all of them, but there is no doubt they have been infiltrated by that garbage, and I

am NOT falling for that act.

I have no tolerance for the violence that those protesters are doing.

As far as I am concerned, once the protesters became violent, and started destroying cars and property, the government needed to intervene immediately.

No government would tolerate that violent bullshit

[agincourt]

50. the ethno nationlists are trying to co opt it

the reality is that working people are tired of paying for the damage caused by the capitalist ruling class. France is not truly socialist, Macron is hurting labor with his policies. The CO2 crisis is the fault of the oligarchs, not working people, it is they who should pay. I just wish the left could lead these spontaneous movements rather an opportunistic right co opting them.

[Recursion]

52. No, the ethno-nationalists started it. Don't believe the bullshit about gas taxes

Even with the new tax applied, gasoline is cheaper than when Macron took office. It's not that.

[still_one]

4. What makes this extremely troubling is the acceleration of violence by these protesters which which

started off as non-violent protests against the rising fuel prices. This has led me to suspect that these protests have been infiltrated by extremists on both the right and left who are responsible for inciting the violence.

[Auggie]

8. Been wondering the same thing

Could also be ... Russia?

[still_one]

9. No doubt Auggie, and it is a lose-lose situation for the government, because they have to crack down

against the lawlessness going on, and that most likely means people are going to get hurt, and among those will be innocents or those NOT involved in the violence and vandalism

[kimbutgar]

12. And don't forget the Le pen faction is also stroking the flames.

[still_one]

36. no doubt about that Kim

[rpannier]

43. Going to disagree

There have been issues plaguing France since Macron took office
- He has promoted policies to weaken unions
- Providing tax cuts that benefit wealthier people, while hiking taxes on pensioners
- The rise in the tax on fuel has a wider effect on people in rural areas than urban ones
- The 'University Reforms' have also angered some (It seems to be a rather complex issue, I'm posting a link to an article on it below)

Look at Tarek al-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian who set himself on fire because his cart was confiscated, and became the tipping point for the Arab Spring. The uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere had little to do with the confiscation of carts, but it became the image for opposition to oppressive governments.

I think this has less to do with left, right than it does with dissatisfied people finding a place to vent their anger

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/world-view/reform-french-university-admissions

[still_one]

45. Macron was democratically elected. Trying to justify this violence by the protestors is bullshit

That is what elections are for

And it naive to believe there has been no infiltration by extreme elements intent on causing chaos, along with the fact that the media has reported as such

France has had a wonderful history of sympathies toward fascist elements, along with leftists, and anarchists

It will be interesting to see who was involved in inciting the violence

[rpannier]

49. Of course there have been extreme elements that have joined trying to cause chaos

That happens in almost every large political rally against any injustice, any government, whatever -- don't pretend this is anything new.
But likewise, to claim that this is some sort of coordinated extremist only violence is naive as well.

He was elected, but that doesn't give the government carte blanch to do whatever the f- it wants to do. Or, would you suggest that anything the newly elected President of Brazil does is fine and people should just take it?
According to articles in France24, Bloomberg and other publication, the vast majority of the French public supports the Yellow Vests -- even after last week their support stands at over 60% in France.

Are you from France? Are you affected by the laws that have been passed in France? What are your solutions?

[Snellius]

23. "Whoever did not live in the years around 1789 ...

does not know what the pleasure of living means." - Tallyrand
“We need a revolution every 200 years, because all governments become stale and corrupt after 200 years.” – Ben Franklin

[Recursion]

26. Yeah... these people are nationalist right wing scum You do *not* want this revolution

It's troubling to me how quickly parts of the American left are lining up behind an attempt to destroy French pluralism and democracy.

[Snellius]

40. French politics is not so simple.

A stretch to compare it to American. They invented riots, with one about every 30 years since the Revolution. In Paris in '68. From Berkeley at that. They're real pros at it. Part of their national heritage. In their blood. Such disciplined street rioting rare here. My experience that political cause is less relevant than that they take on a life of their own. Inspired and exploited by all sides, left and right.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-yellow-vests-and-why-there-are-so-many-street-protests-in-france

[rpannier]

44. Really? All are right wing scum

That's a rather broad and incorrect brush you're painting with there. Unless you are saying that the nationalist right are the only group that is interested in the 'University Reform', the weakening of unions, the tax rises on pensioners (while cutting taxes for the rich), etc

[JonLP24]

55. Thanks for your input

Made me look elsewhere for more information I'm learning a lot more outside of DU these days.

[.99center]

34. Member of an Italian neo-fascist party in Paris today

Link to tweet

[rockfordfile]

41. They should arrest him.France has to remember what the fascists from the past did to their country.

[shenmue]

51. Yep!

[still_one]

35. It has been infiltrated by the le Pen Nazis. Perhaps someone should educate this VIOLENT ASSHOLES

what elections are for.

I am sure zukerberg, you know the guy who said holocaust deniers "aren't intentionally getting it wrong.", is real proud that his medium is being used to incite violence.


It is way past due that Facebook needs to be regulated


From allowing right wingers to data mine, to trying to find dirt on George Soros, his enterprise has overstepped

[rockfordfile]

38. The Russians are involved in this up to their neck. France needs to find the creators of this farce

Arrest them.

[JCMach1]

58. Yes, they are indeed...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-08/pro-russia-social-media-takes-aim-at-macron-as-yellow-vests-rage

[moondust]

47. Now in Brussels and Amsterdam.

Much smaller crowds but starting to join in there.

Seems to be largely a backlash against inequality and neoliberal policies: high cost of living with high taxes on poor and middle class (rather than more progressive taxation) coupled with low wages. Too many with little or no discretionary income. Many were wary of neoliberal Macron but figured he was a better choice than Le Pen.

[rockfordfile]

53. This has brexit type crap written all over it.

It's interesting thinking back to the Saudi Prince and Macron talks.

[roamer65]

54. This unrest has the smell of neo-fascist instigation to it.