ET: PARIS—French yellow vest protesters set fires along a march route through Paris on Saturday, April 20, to drive home their message to a government they see as out of touch with the problems of the poor: that rebuilding the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral isn’t the only problem France needs to solve.
Like the high-visibility vests the protesters wear, the scattered small fires in Paris appeared to be a collective plea to the government to “look at me—I need help too!”
Police fired water cannon and sprayed tear gas to try to control radical elements on the margins of the largely peaceful march, one of several actions around Paris and other French cities.
The protesters were marking the 23rd straight weekend of yellow vest actions against economic inequality and President Emmanuel Macron’s government, which they see as favoring the wealthy and big business at the expense of ordinary workers. Protesters see themselves as standing up for beleaguered French workers, students, and retirees who have been battered by high unemployment, high taxes, and shrinking purchasing power.
Associated Press reporters saw a car, motorbikes, and barricades set ablaze around the Place de la Republique plaza in eastern Paris. The smell of tear gas fired by police mixed with the smoke, choking the air.
Paris firefighters—who struggled earlier this week to prevent the 12th-century Notre Dame from collapsing—quickly responded to extinguish the flames at Saturday’s protest.
One masked protester dressed in black jumped on a Mercedes parked along the march route, smashing its front and back windshields.
Paris police headquarters said authorities detained 137 people by early afternoon and carried out spot checks on more than 14,000 people trying to enter the capital for Saturday’s protests.
The tensions focused on a march of several thousand people that started at the Finance Ministry in eastern Paris to demand lower taxes on workers and retirees and higher taxes on the rich. MORE HERE
I think France may be in much more of a predicament than is being reported in the press.
This is pretty much how the French Revolution got started, and maybe another one will be as well if the government there doesn’t start listening to those protesting it and its current polices.
There is no downside to ignoring “patriots” who parade on weekends, and go back to work — for the “glory” of France — during the week.
(Parasites will never leave voluntarily. You must either kill them… kill the host… or wish them a “fare thee well.”)
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Until La Belle France decides to go all Vendée on their overlords they will continue to be picked off piecemeal.
i wish them God speed. And it does sound a lot like their first revolution.