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Political Climate Change: Paris Burns With Riots Over Rising Fuel Taxes

Political Climate Change: Paris Burns With Riots Over Rising Fuel Taxes

“protesters blocked streets and lit various materials on fire, including large sheets of plywood and garbage bins”
Posted by Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 10:00am
https://youtu.be/wiUKFb-NFJs
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If you have looked at Twitter or the news over the last two days, you may have seen the chaos unfolding on the streets of Paris. People are rioting over a tax increase on fuel which the Macron government claims it is imposing to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Anthony Rivas of ABC News reports:

Paris burning: Protesters set streets on fire on 8th day of protests against rising fuel taxes

Violence erupted on the streets of the city of lights on Saturday as about 8,000 protesters faced off against thousands of police deployed to contain the demonstrations.

As angry protesters blocked streets and lit various materials on fire, including large sheets of plywood and garbage bins, police hurled tear gas and shot water cannons on the crowds, the majority of which were centered near the Champs-Elysees.

Saturday was the eighth day of protests over rising fuel taxes and French President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies. Since the protests began on Nov. 17, two people have been killed, according to the Associated Press.

“Shame on those who attacked [the police],” Macron said on Twitter.

“Shame on those who have abused other citizens and journalists. Shame on those who tried to intimidate the [elected]. No place for this violence in the Republic.”

The rioters are wearing yellow safety vests which car owners in France are required to keep in their cars. Things have gotten pretty out of hand, as you can see in this video:

The Local in France has more:

Paris: ‘Yellow vest’ protest marred by violent clashes with French police on Champs-Elysées

Several thousand demonstrators, wearing high-visibility yellow jackets, had gathered on the avenue as part of protests which began last Saturday against an increase in diesel tax, justified as an anti-pollution levy by the government.

The protests have since morphed into a broad opposition front to centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

By mid-afternoon, 81,000 protestors had been counted across France, compared with about 244,000 at the same time last week, figures from the interior ministry showed.

Around 8,000 took to the streets in Paris, and about 5,000 gad gathered by early Saturday on the famous Champs-Elysées where they clashed with police trying to prevent them moving down to the Place de la Concorde near the Louvre museum…

“We have just demonstrated peacefully, and we were teargassed,” said Christophe, 49, who traveled from the Isere region in eastern France with his wife to protest in the capital. “We see how we are welcomed in Paris.”

Here are some more videos:

At the time of this writing, two deaths and hundreds of injuries have been reported.

Featured image via YouTube.

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Comments

Fen | November 25, 2018 at 10:05 am

I may not have enough popcorn for this one.

broomhandle | November 25, 2018 at 10:17 am

Maybe if Macron promises to spend this tax revenue on importing more immigrants the rioters will calm down.

DINORightMarie | November 25, 2018 at 10:23 am

They voted for this man…..and got more socialism. Very similar policies to those Obama imposed under his regime.

And now…….this looks like the makings of another French Revolution.

Socialism.Always.Fails. #WhenWillTheyEverLearn

rightway | November 25, 2018 at 10:38 am

Does anybody know if the Yellow Vests are steering clear of the Muslim “no go” zones?

NoFlow | November 25, 2018 at 11:05 am

I guess that would be one way to Resist Socialist Oppression….

Paul | November 25, 2018 at 11:41 am

You know what else is burned up? The real-estate on my mobile screen when I try to read LI on my phone.

The new “Top Articles” video popup in the lower right corner consumes a huge amount of the available screen space and there is no way to close it.

It’s impossible to read LI on my mobile device with that thing getting in the way.

Please fix this.

The script should detect a mobile device and not show it, or add an “X” button to close it and make the site remember that preference for the duration of my session.

inspectorudy | November 25, 2018 at 12:21 pm

France is the predictor for America. This is about a lot more than just the new fuel tax and France is at the beginning of a long social struggle for their soul. We too shall be there as soon as the new crop of hate-America-first group takes over in the House. Any increase in border security or national defense will have to be matched with the giveaway mentality of the left to the undeserving leeches. New divisiveness departments and the committees that will be assigned to the liberal leaders to chair them will further erode any semblance of unity. Other than some outside force that threatens all of us, I do not see any chance of unity.

JBourque | November 25, 2018 at 2:03 pm

Macron is also calling the protests seditious. So much for the French ideal of protesting, huh? When you’re busy trying to save the world, resistance is enemy action.

JohnC | November 25, 2018 at 4:46 pm

Regular is $1.97 a gallon today. Yay, Capitalism! Yay, Trump!

ThirtyNineWinks | November 25, 2018 at 10:04 pm

In the first video one of the protestors complains that the government has removed the ISF, the tax on the value of your property, that it wasn’t right that the big bosses weren’t being taxed.

There’s more to this than just opposing a huge tax hike on diesel.

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