Yellow vests commemorate 6th anniversary with protests

Published November 17th, 2024 - 10:22 GMT
france
A protestor waering a yellow vest and a French flag attends a demonstration on the 6th anniversary of the Yellow Vests ("Gilets Jaunes") movement, at place Colette in Paris, on November 16, 2024. (Photo by Ian LANGSDON / AFP)

PARIS

Yellow vest protesters gathered Saturday in Paris and cities in France to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the movement.

In Paris, demonstrations started near the Palais Royal, a former French royal palace, with protesters carrying French and Palestinian flags alongside banners that read: "Macron out" and "Six years, we are not tired."

One participant dressed as Robin Hood, the legendary heroic outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, accused President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnier of "taking from the poor to give to the rich."

Marianne, a regular protester, told Anadolu that demonstrators demand "direct democracy" and the power to dismiss politicians through referendums.

Catherine Lassure, carrying a Palestinian flag on her shoulders, criticized the Macron administration for its "harmful policies."

The yellow vest movement, which began Nov. 17, 2018, in opposition to fuel price hikes and expanded to challenge economic inequality, drew massive crowds with protests facing severe police crackdowns. Eleven people have been killed during protests.

The movement remains a symbol of resistance to Macron’s policies.

*Writing by Yasin Gungor

 

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