French government will suspend planned fuel tax increase after protests, riots

(Image credit: Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images)

last updated 4 December 2018

On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that the government will suspend a small increase in taxes on gas and diesel that sparked three weekends of "yellow vest" protests in Paris and other cities. The moratorium on the new tax, set to take effect in January, was President Emmanuel Marcon's first concession to the protesters, and it's unclear if it will mollify them. Though the protests were sparked by the gas tax, they have gained steam over a widespread perception that Macron's policies favor the wealthy. "We want a better distribution of wealth, salary increases," said Yellow Vests spokesman Benjamin Cauchy. "It's about the whole baguette, not just the crumbs."

The protests reached a violent peak last weekend, with damage estimated at $4.5 million in Paris from burned cars and other vandalism; someone spray-painted "We've chopped off heads for less than this" on the Arc de Triomphe. Tourism is also down amid the protests. More than 220 people were arrested in Paris on Saturday, and three people have died since the unrest started in mid-November.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.