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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
September 18 editorial cartoonsCartoons Thursday's political cartoons include a man who would be king, an inconsistent court, and social media in the trash
-
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues – laughs are sadly ‘thin on the ground’Talking Point Disappointing sequel to the classic rock’n’roll spoof
-
What the 2025 Autumn Budget could mean for your walletChancellor Rachel Reeves will reveal her latest plan to balance the nation’s finances in November
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
