Power of the yellow vest warriors

After weeks of fire and fury, France scraps fuel price hike and calls for calm. >29

PARIS: The French government, under pressure from weeks of “yellow vest” protests over rising living costs, scrapped all planned fuel tax hikes for 2019 and appealed for calm.

An increase scheduled for Jan 1, was “scrapped for the year 2019” in its entirety, Environment Minister Francois de Rugy announced on BFM TV, in an about-turn for the government.

The presidency, meanwhile, warned of possible violence during a new round of protests planned for tomorrow in Paris and elsewhere in the country.

“We have reasons to fear major violence,” a source in the Elysee Palace said amid calls for fresh mobilisation of the “yellow vests” movement already linked to four deaths and hundreds of injuries in often violent demonstrations.

The protests began on Nov 17 to oppose rising fuel taxes, but have ballooned into a broad challenge to French President Emmanuel Macron’s perceived probusiness agenda and complaints that he is out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people.

Demonstrators have blocked roads nationwide, playing havoc with traffic in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Last Saturday, rioters ran amok in the capital, torching some 200 cars, smashing shop windows, and vandalising the Arc de Triomphe, an iconic national monument.

Macron and his government appealed for calm on Wednesday, and signalled they were ready to make further concessions to avoid more violence.

:The moment that we are living through is not about political opposition, it’s about the republic,” government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said after a Cabinet meeting where he said Macron urged decision-makers to issue “a clear and explicit call to calm”.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said: “What is at stake is the security of French people and our institutions. I’m calling for responsibility.” —