Is the Yellow Vest movement the beginning of something bigger?

in #news6 years ago (edited)

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Here in France there is a feeling like something important is happening and despite the mainstream assumption this will all just blow over as it has done in the past, the movement is growing at a shocking pace and is not (as advertised) just at the weekends or in pockets of the country. Now the blockades are all over France and they are 24/7.

Even here in the South next to the Spanish boarder we are no longer able to get onto the motorway at Perpignan. I was able to shoot this image from the car on Friday when we first learned this to be the case.
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The motorway route to our nearest boarder crossing with Spain has been blocked so if you want to get in and out of the country across the Pyrenees Mountains, it is by the smaller roads only. We know this because one of our neighbours goes daily to the boarder blockade and tells us it is manned day and night, permitting no one to pass.

We are told that 90% of the motorway speed cameras have been disabled and toll stations which would normally be collecting road tax have been shut by the yellow jackets so that the French can now drive these motorways without paying, sending a very clear message to their government.

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The media paradox

The mainstream media in France is not reporting on how widespread this has become in an attempt to prevent others from joining. They are instead focusing on all the violence in the cities, telling us that it is being instigated by far right activists. This however is simply not the case. The core of the movement is the white working class, normal every day people like you and me for whom it is not about being left or right wing. It is not even about fuel taxes! It is about something much bigger... something which 99% of the world are feeling as each year it becomes harder and harder to make ends meet.

The French people are not persuaded by their media any more because now they have social media which provides hundreds of independent sources which contradict the mainstream rhetoric.

As a reaction to this yesterday they surrounded a media building in Paris and tried to set it alight, specifically because they are standing against this kind of disinformation, along with a long list of other issues, one of which is the fuel taxes.

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The message of the man above is spot on but is likely to fall upon deaf ears while people are taking to the streets because they can barely afford food.

Some independent reporters are telling us that it is the police who are inciting the violence with their stun grenades, rubber bullets & tear gas, in some cases cordoning people into areas from which they cannot escape the gas.

Other reporters have provided video evidence of police taking their helmets off to show they have no intention of attacking and the word on the street is that should the military be called upon here, there is a good chance they will simply refuse, not wanting to go to war with their own people.

But where would we go from here?

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What is the rest of the world learning from this?

The French have shown what happens when a large number of people stand up at the same time with the intention of disrupting the system. Even with no leader they are highly effective at achieving their goal. The interesting thing about the way in which they are disrupting the system is that the people themselves don't seem to mind. Almost every car I see on the roads here has a yellow jacket proudly displayed on the dashboard as a mark of respect to those on the 'front line' and they are more than happy to find an alternative route in the name of liberty.

What these disruptions ultimately mean is a steady decline in productivity from across the country bringing the wheels of the great financial machine to a halt, forcing a response from their president. Exactly how that response manifests is yet to be seen.

This morning France's finance minister warned of the catastrophic effects on the economy and the evidence of this is already clear in some of our local shops which have been unable to re-stock.

This is a shot from Paris this morning.
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Macron is blaming Trump and the effects of social media algorithms for stirring up all this trouble while the French public are laughing at such suggestions.

Trump on the other hand seems to be quite enjoying this.

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The French president is due to give a speech to his nation at 8pm tonight but now that the yellow vest fever has spread to Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands and even Germany it feels like no amount of words will be able to stop this movement from growing further, possibly even beyond the boundaries of Europe.

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Thank you for a very insightful article on a very interesting issue. The world wants to know what’s going on in France and why.
Upvoted and Resteemed!

It's a shame to see France burning, but it was long overdue I'm afraid...

Btw. I came acros this picture, could u tell me what it saiys (main points)?:

Thanks!

ha! If only. I may live here buy I still need Sabrina to translate everything!

Sorry about that.

No probs., thanks anyway!

It is about time a populace said STOP, it is still amazing it is not elsewhere already. But as you stated, it is a spark for a coming flame.

The french are a stubborn old bunch. Even when it is freezing cold and there is barely enough money to eat, they are still ready to take to the streets.

Seeing our local shops with many empty shelves was a bit freaky, so last night we ordered basic survival items and today we will buy extra food stocks, just in case.

It is easy to destroy, difficult to build. I get why they are taking to the streets. What is the plan to replace the existing order? We see politicians constantly running on how bad their opponent is. Then they get real hazy on what they would do different. Slogans are bullshit. I want to hear the specifics.

Leave it to the French. They cut the heads of the Monarchy, and yet they embraced an Emperor less than 20 years later.

I think most people are awake to the reality that it is a systemic problem but don't know exactly what to do about that, so the dominant feeling which is left is anger.

@alexpmorris was able to find this unofficial list which shows what the yellow jackets want:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/france-bleu/demands-of-frances-yellow-vests-as-uploaded-by-france-bleu-november-29

Reading through it I fear they don't stand a chance. And so it continues...

Thanks for the awesome post! Very informative and it's great to hear the other side of the story from someone actually in France. Let's just hope the MSM isn't able to suppress this to the point of keeping it from spreading. World is long overdue for a global revolution against the establishment power elite... Thanks again for sharing, hope you will cover these protests more in the future as they continue :)

Feels to me like there is nothing which can stop what is coming...

Not to be the voice of doom! This needs to happen.

Will do my best to keep everyone updated...

This is a side of it that isn't making our news either. All we have been getting is images of the rioters in Paris. Something which is only making the French look bad rather than these positive images of how to hurt the government.

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My mother gives me BBC updates from time to time and it rarely fits what is actually happening here. I can see why they would want to keep the reality of this situation from exciting the rest of Europe into joining. Though it doesn't feel like there is much which can be done to stop the growth of the movement.

The mainstream will never tell us the full truth. That wouldn't suit the agenda but at least we can always find out on our own.
We need to see some changes as things have only been getting worse in the past few years. The government here is a failure and treads on the people daily. There has to be a breaking point.

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I'm not surprised that it is the French people who, once again, are the ones to stand up en masse and say enough is enough. I wonder if the rest of the world can follow their example or if the media will be able to keep it under wraps.

That's the bottom line really isn't it. Will the media be able to stop this from spreading?

I doubt it.

So what exactly are the protests about? The Paris agreement? Macron? Toll roads?

Thanks for sharing! Continue to be inspired by your project!

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Keep reporting this kind of stuff so that more and more people can see it!

Many of you have said the same thing, so I will do my best to provide regular updates.

I shot a little film in the supermarket today while we did our 'armageddon shopping'!

Felt like we need to be fully stocked up on tinned & dry food, just in case.