Malaysian condemns Paris ‘yellow vest’ riots
PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian living in France has condemned the violence of the “yellow vest” protests in Paris as it brings back memories of the May 1968 student riots in the French capital.
“Both my husband and I graduated during the post-May 1968 era and until today, we condemn all forms of violence,” Wan Hua Chapouthier, who travelled to France for her studies in 1970, said when contacted.
Now a resident of Paris, the 73-year-old Wan Hua has been married for 47 years to a French scientist and university professor. They have four children.
Wan Hua said the current riots brought a sense of deja vu to many of the French people who had lived through the violent student riots in the Latin Quarter of the city back then.
She recalled that then president Charles de Gaulle managed to restore law and order by refusing to resign or dissolve the French National Assembly, and initiating changes that provided opportunities for French youth and some qualified foreign students to obtain free education in French universities.
The current protests, which were against increases in fuel prices and living costs, began on Nov 17 but escalated into violence, with rioting and looting, in Paris on Saturday.
The protests are named after the yellow reflective jackets that all motorists in France must carry in their vehicles.
It is said to be the worst unrest in the coun- try in more than a decade.
Wan Hua said opponents of French President Emmanuel Macron had been looking for an opportunity for months as prices and taxes continued to rise.
“Macron has to deal with both the extreme right and extreme left and how he does it – that is the question,” she said.
“The French in general are watching this on TV and many cannot accept it (the violence). They are calling for stricter measures and two women MPs have even called for the military to step in.”