I had decided last Saturday to take photos of the Gilets Jaunes during their manifestation on the
Champs Élysée. I am glad my plans changed!
I had even thought of wearing my own gilet jaune as a token of my sympathy. I, along with 72% of the French people, at that time, was initially supportive of their movement when it was peaceful, but certainly not by any measure do I condone the abominable violence that has erupted since the movement began.
My plans changed not out of fear of going, but because Aimée said she could only be available to help me Saturday afternoon carry away the cartons of wines bought at the independent vintner’s wine salon.
I had already gone 3 times that week to taste the wines I was interested in after a very careful study and triage that I undertake every year to buy wines for my little cave.
As it turned out, I am grateful that Aimée ended up changing my plans, because of the unimaginable violence that erupted.
I was horrified to see that the Arc de Triomphe was damaged, cars burned along with smashed windows and storefronts along the Champs and Avenue Kléber, where even some building doors were pushed down and fires started.
Many of the ones bent on violence were the “casseurs”, or masked thug like anarchists mostly from the extreme right, who regularly like to infiltrate large protests.
They are pros in damaging property and then quickly disappearing to let others take the blame. This latest eruption of violence showed that some of the Gilets Jaunes had become radicalized towards violence too.
I am a pacifist who abhors violence of tongue and gestures, who values harmony and peaceful negotiations to obtain goals.
One of the reasons I do not “celebrate” Bastille day is because of the vile bloody violence that fueled the French Revolution.
When this whole Gilets Jaunes movement started, my gut feeling was that is was going to snowball. Why?
I sensed that their voiced complaint against the gasoline tax was only the tip of the iceberg of their discomfort and misery.
I felt the anguish and bitterness of these people who were barely skimping by month to month. Unable to make ends meet on their low salaries, many had to prioritize feeding their families over other necessities of living, yet had to have money to buy gas to get to their jobs.
Salaries in France are notoriously lower than in the states. Yes, there are many government social aids and benefits to families not enjoyed by Americans, such as universal healthcare, allocations for each child in a family, pre-birth advance payment, financial help in buying school supplies, childcare, paid maternal and paternal leaves, practically free tuition to public universities and others.
Of course, the French pay a lot of taxes to enjoy all the of social benefits and security safety nets that they have.
As a divorced mother of two children, who raised my children in the states without any financial help from their father, I have in the past walked in their shoes. Sometimes you weren’t even able to borrow from Peter to pay Paul till the next paycheck.
The proposed gas tax by President Macron and his repeated dismissal of their complaints was the match that lit the fire of anger boiling under the lid.
However ambitious he was to further limit the carbon footprints of France, he was clueless to the stark reality that millions of French in the countryside have to depend on getting around in their cars for jobs, food and just about everything else.
Not everyone lives in Paris, Lyon, Marseille or the other huge metropolitan cities of the country, where public transport is readily available.
Paris has gotten so expensive in obtaining housing, along with high costs of living that many can’t afford to live in the capital in the first place.
Unable to have the financial means of living in urban areas, where the majority of jobs are, these people often have to make very long commutes to and from work; so gas costs are a monumental financial stressor for them.
Gasoline and diesel fuels in France have historically always been much higher than gasoline prices in the USA.
Currently, in Paris, at up to 1.60 euros per liter, they are hovering over 7$ for a gallon of gas. They can be found lower in the countryside at the huge supermarket chains.
Decreased buying power is another huge issue with the Gilets Jaunes as with everybody else. Food, housing, and essentials of living just cost more than they did previously.
As is the case with the majority of suffering human beings they want their misery to be heard! Macron has yet to actually address them, other than denounce of course the violence.
He has left the totality of any dialogue with them to his prime minister, which the Gilets Jaunes refused to meet with today. Macron’s silence has added fuel to the fire.
As I go to publish my humble little post on a huge subject that I do not have the economic knowledge and expertise that others may have, the prime minister of France Edouard Philippe announced that the moratorium on the gas tax would be only for 6 months.
That may be lancing the wound to drain some pus, but not taking care of eliminating the infection!
I doubt that is going to appease and take care of the continuing expanding anger of the Gilets Jaunes. They may ease off only as temporary as the moratorium!
But, they will be back!
P.S. They have indeed metamorphized into a continued avowed violent and even most recently antisemitic movement that frankly does not resemble their initial endeavors to draw attention to their financial strife. I therefore strongly condemn this fringe group that does not in any way reflect the values of the French Republic.
Cherry, your comments are well-founded. I was also disturbed by the violence and vandalism, and I agree that most of it was done by right-wing hooligans. As you know, I live out in the country, and I know that it’s hard for rural people to not only find work, but also afford to get there and back. In my village there are many people without cars, and often they must rely on “ambulances” not medical, but more like taxis. I have always wondered about the networks of rail lines that have fallen into disuse and why they could not someday be employed again. Of course it’s because of the cost of fuel and the fact that freight lines are not as effective as trucks. Still, some day if efficient electric locomotives are devised, perhaps many of these old rail lines could be used the same way the Métro is in Paris, Lyon, etc. Electric motors are the way of the future for automobiles and trains, and some of the strain that led to these demonstrations could be alleviated.
Thank you Andy for sharing your own insights and experiences living in a small French village. However quaint they are, a lot of them are “dying” for lack of central commerces and available jobs nearby.
I love your idea of an electric rail to the outer rural areas. I was aware that many rail routes to these small villages had long been canceled due to poor revenue.
The Gilets Jaunes have certainly made their plight more visible and do hope they can affect changes without continued violence. Since the lyceens and ambulance drivers have joined in collaboration, they have gained force. I agree with some who have voiced a sense of insurrection not seen before since revolutionary days.
Great post, my friend. I was wondering what the “real” story is behind the national news reports about this issue.
We are seeing some of this working class misery in the coastal areas of the U.S. Some of the cities on the west coast, where high tech rules the economy, have become too expensive to live in. Not just housing costs, but all the necessities of life have risen so high that working people—even those with higher educational achievements—are paying thousands of dollars a month to rent 200 square feet of “living” space. Taxes are high, and gasoline prices can top $7 or $8 per gallon. So when workers are forced to live outside the cities, the gas prices, combined with a lack of public transportation, make it difficult to scrape by, even for those in high-demand jobs.
Despite the cultural issues in Oklahoma (poor public education, lack of medical care for anyone not employed by a large corporation, poor job offerings and low wages, repressive social laws, etc.), people remain here because of the relatively low cost of living. We can currently buy gas for well under $2/gallon.
Our country has divisions based upon rural vs urban needs; educated vs barely literate; color and ethnic origins; rich vs poor; and those who want their religion to be written into government laws vs those who want separation of church and state. I suppose we’ve always had those divisions to a greater or lesser extent. But with an unregulated and ubiquitous flow of dubious information, the differences are greatly magnified and foment a very emotional public response to every idea. Tone deaf leaders only worsen the resentments and feelings of hopelessness.
Thank you Shawn for your analogy of events plying on the working class of America. Reduced buying power and ability to maintain a certain level of lifestyle or even being able to provide the basic needs of any family I saw happening in the US. The vast homelessness where many Florida families were living on Walmart lots or if lucky in motel rooms was shocking.
Extreme poverty in America seems more widespread and the severity worse than here.
At least French residents have access to medical care and more subsidized housing than in the states.
Totally agree that leaders who are not listening serve to increase the anger of the populous to the explosive levels. Hugs
As much as I abhor the violence and the destruction, governments all too often seem to not respond until this type of violence occurs. I always have a lot of empathy and sympathy for the innocent people who are injured or killed, and those who lose property such as their vehicles or buildings that are burned or smashed.
Realistically, would the government have responded to the citizens objections if they hadn’t had violent riots? I’m sure that a LOT of the rioters are probably malcontent people just venting their anger and frustrations in general about their lives.
Was there a way to get the government to respond without the violent and destructive riot? In a way, it seems like governments frequently don’t leave citizens a lot of options. There always seems to be a certain element of the people just looking for an opportunity to riot and to be destructive.
Thank you David for introducing a pertinent question around this dilemma. In America, Martin Luther King affected tremendous changes non violently. In the then Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution was successful in a transitioning of power by non violent means.
I don’t think that type of non violent movement has ever been utilised in France, perhaps except by beloved Saint
Geneviève around 455 in thwarting the invasion of Attila the Hun and later avoiding a siege of Paris by Childéric.
The French love to take to the streets and maybe to them resorting to violence is historically validated.
To me, it also depends on the willingness of those in power to listen and affect changes for the betterment of those in society that have little voice. I would like to think that there are or have been benevolent and empathic leaders, but generally those types of people are more drawn to healing and ministering professions rather than power seeking ones like the political arena!
In the U>S. there was sort of an “opposite situation” . . . it was the violent police actions against the” peaceful demonstrators” that somewhat helped to bring about change. The violent actions by the KKK and their ilk, plus the various governors attempted use of their state national guard also came into play.
I’m a Vietnam veteran of three tours over three years. I am a “hawk” about protecting American interests when necessary; unfortunately most wars are, in my opinion, baseless, without real justification. And after the Vietnam war, they finally admitted and acknowledged that it was a war that should have never been fought . . . what a tragic waste. The deaths, maimings, and utter destruction of societies for political and economic purposes is unfathomable to me. I voted for George Bush (Jr), and I think that he caused the implosion of the Middle East with his unwarranted “shock & awe” invasion and destruction of Iraq . . . and that led to the expansion of the terrorists groups and the subsequent collapse of the other Middle Eastern countries . . . then the million plus refugees flowing into Europe.
Yeah, war and violent actions are warranted occasionally; but most of it is “waste” and unnecessary. The basic problem seems to be that most governments and their citizens do not pay attention or react until violence occurs. Perhaps it is just the nature of mankind. People are just too caught up in their personal lives to do anything politically active. It is the same with the news media; it takes sensationalisms to “make the news”.