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Far Right Behind The 'Yellow Jacket' Petrol Protests?

blessmycottonsocks

blessmycottonsocks

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Some 6,000 impromptu roadblocks brought much of France to a halt over the weekend and resulted in over 400 injuries, one death and some 150 protesters arrested. But are "les gilets jaunes" spontaneous protests at the soaring cost of petrol and diesel in France or, as this Ouest France article suggests, are Marine Le Pen and associated far right forces coordinating the social unrest, with the aim of bringing down the Macron government?

https://www.ouest-france.fr/economi...unes-sont-ils-recuperes-politiquement-6053828
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Some 6,000 impromptu roadblocks brought much of France to a halt over the weekend and resulted in over 400 injuries, one death and some 150 protesters arrested. But are "les gilets jaunes" spontaneous protests at the soaring cost of petrol and diesel in France or, as this Ouest France article suggests, are Marine Le Pen and associated far right forces coordinating the social unrest, with the aim of bringing down the Macron government?

https://www.ouest-france.fr/economi...unes-sont-ils-recuperes-politiquement-6053828
Click to expand...

The death occurred when a mother taking her sick daughter to see a doctor was surrounded by yellow jacket protesters banging on her car. She panicked and drove off, running over one protester who subsequently died. The mother has been charged with manslaughter. Seems rather unfair.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....llow-jackets-protests-rising-fuel-prices/amp/
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
The death occurred when a mother taking her sick daughter to see a doctor was surrounded by yellow jacket protesters banging on her car. She panicked and drove off, running over one protester who subsequently died. The mother has been charged with manslaughter. Seems rather unfair.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....llow-jackets-protests-rising-fuel-prices/amp/
Click to expand...

If she genuinely panicked then it may be unfair. Should be a defence in any trial. Enough mitigating circumstances to suggest that she at least won't get a prison sentence.
 
ramonmercado said:
If she genuinely panicked then it may be unfair. Should be a defence in any trial. Enough mitigating circumstances to suggest that she at least won't get a prison sentence.
Click to expand...

Hope so.

Some 20 people described as seriously injured, following stabbings and fist-fights at the roadblocks.
Glad we're not going to France this month.
 
Not sure what the connection is with the 'far right'.
The 'far left' could equally be the culprits.
Or it could just be a group of angry people (which is probably the reality).
 
Mythopoeika said:
Not sure what the connection is with the 'far right'.
The 'far left' could equally be the culprits.
Or it could just be a group of angry people (which is probably the reality).
Click to expand...
Mythopoeika said:
Not sure what the connection is with the 'far right'.
The 'far left' could equally be the culprits.
Or it could just be a group of angry people (which is probably the reality).
Click to expand...

Suggestions of Far Right involvement:

Several officials from Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and Nicolas Dupont Aignan’s movement are helping to mobilise for Saturday’s protests, but some mainstream parties also want to curry favour with the demonstrators.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wor...prices-threatens-to-paralyse-france-1.3699287

There was also a call on Monday by a member of the rightwing Debout La France (Stand Up France) party for protesters to descend on Paris on Saturday and "block" the city which has been viewed over 165,000 times on Facebook.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20181119/french-fuel-tax-protests-yellow-vests-continue-road-blocks

In Bourg-en-Bresse in eastern France two town councillors were the victim of an alleged homophobic assault at a blockade outside the Leclerc supermarket in the town. "I heard one of the protesters say 'I recognise him. He's gay'. After that they began threatening us," said victim Raphaël Duret. The pair told local newspaper La Voix de L'Ain that they were subject to kicks and punches until police were able to intervene. Duret said he had to be escorted out of the area by police after receiving death threats.

In Saint-Quentin in the Aisne department of northern France there were reports of a female Muslim driver being forced to remove her veil by protesters as she tried to get through the road block. One witness reported that several protesters put their yellow vests around their heads in the form of a Muslim veil to mock the woman.

In the town of Cognac in western France a black woman was reportedly the victim of racist insults."Go home, go back to your country", "get lost" were some of the insults shouted at her as seen in a video published in La Charente Libre newspaper.

The local newspaper L'Est Republicain reported that a local journalist was the victim of racist abuse before being punched by a protester at a road block in the eastern town of Châteaufarine.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20181119/fr...by-death-injuries-homophobic-and-racist-abuse

I haven't seen any news reports suggesting that the far left are behind the protests.

Nor do the protesters appear to represent ordinary people:

There were also reports of protesters getting involved in skirmishes among themselves often after consuming alcohol at the blockades. At one road block in the Drôme a protester who was asked to leave the demonstration because he was so drunk later returned by car with a rifle and fired into the air. He then drove his car into a group of yellow vested protesters injuring two of them. The driver was then dragged from his car and beaten by his fellow yellow vests who then set his vehicle ablaze.

Some readers of The Local who were caught up in the road blocks had little sympathy for protesters describing them as "intimidating yobs"."I was simply trying to get home and it was very intimidating and frightening being surrounded by these guys. How is scaring and kicking the crap out of ordinary people’s cars the right thing to do?" said one reader.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20181119/fr...by-death-injuries-homophobic-and-racist-abuse
 
With such a huge number of people being involved, you will inevitably get a wide range of behaviour. Not all of the people involved are good people, nor do they all share the same views or morality.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Not sure what the connection is with the 'far right'.
The 'far left' could equally be the culprits.
Or it could just be a group of angry people (which is probably the reality).
Click to expand...

Mythopoeika said:
With such a huge number of people being involved, you will inevitably get a wide range of behaviour. Not all of the people involved are good people, nor do they all share the same views or morality.
Click to expand...

Ah but a simple group of angry people with a wide range of behaviour doesn't sound as exciting on the headlines, does it. ;)
 
Ramon's post above is valid, as is the fact that a significant proportion of the protesters are French farmers, outraged at the 23% increase in diesel this year. Traditionally French farmers are regarded as being Front National supporters. My father-in-law (now retired) was an exception, being somewhere between socialist and communist (although he was somewhat anti-EU).
 
An interesting post on a favourite blog of mine here covers this protest, giving background:

"Diesel has always been cheaper than petrol in France, in part because French companies were early pioneers in diesel engine technology and the refineries were geared to meet the subsequent demand. But a decade or so back politicians across Europe decided CO2 emissions were the greatest danger mankind had ever faced and encouraged everyone to switch to diesel cars, which get a better mileage per gallon. So everyone did, only now the politicians are saying diesel is bad and have whacked up the tax, leaving millions of people facing rising fuel bills and with cars that in many cases will be near-worthless. An increase of 14.1 cents per litre in two years on a fuel the government encouraged people to adopt is extortion; no wonder people came out in protest."

"The “yellow vests”, so-called after the high-visibility jackets they are required to carry in their cars, blocked motorways and roundabouts."

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
An interesting post on a favourite blog of mine here covers this protest, giving background:

"Diesel has always been cheaper than petrol in France, in part because French companies were early pioneers in diesel engine technology and the refineries were geared to meet the subsequent demand. But a decade or so back politicians across Europe decided CO2 emissions were the greatest danger mankind had ever faced and encouraged everyone to switch to diesel cars, which get a better mileage per gallon. So everyone did, only now the politicians are saying diesel is bad and have whacked up the tax, leaving millions of people facing rising fuel bills and with cars that in many cases will be near-worthless. An increase of 14.1 cents per litre in two years on a fuel the government encouraged people to adopt is extortion; no wonder people came out in protest."

"The “yellow vests”, so-called after the high-visibility jackets they are required to carry in their cars, blocked motorways and roundabouts."

maximus otter
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Yes, they have a perfectly legit reason for protesting. It's not primarily political trouble-making.
 
The violence and destruction continues and this gilet jaune spokesman states they will not be satisfied until Macron has gone and Marine Le Pen is in power.

https://www.bfmtv.com/mediaplayer/v...est-le-depart-de-monsieur-macron-1118537.html

Signs that the left is mobilising anti-gilet jaune protests now.
The météo weather forecasts on French national TV now include reports of which motorways and routes nationales are blocked and must be avoided. It's getting very ugly over the Channel.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
The violence and destruction continues and this gilet jaune spokesman states they will not be satisfied until Macron has gone and Marine Le Pen is in power.

https://www.bfmtv.com/mediaplayer/v...est-le-depart-de-monsieur-macron-1118537.html

Signs that the left is mobilising anti-gilet jaune protests now.
The météo weather forecasts on French national TV now include reports of which motorways and routes nationales are blocked and must be avoided. It's getting very ugly over the Channel.
Click to expand...

It's basically an attempted coup by Le Pen.
 
maximus otter said:
Macron’s popularity was cratering. Someone was going to have a go.

Let’s face it, the French will block roads and set things on fire at the drop of a hat (and drop the hat themselves). Remember the protests against British lamb imports?

maximus otter
Click to expand...

Indeed. But the protesters involved at that time didn't beat up and abuse random gays, blacks and muslims. Nor was it their intention to overthrow a president. They barbecued lambs at the barricades and shared it.

Now fascist French farmers are bashing British truckers. Should we wait until they barbecue the Brits?

Strike back now! Boycott French Restaurants!
 
Does one politician opportunistically scoring rhetorical points in relation to an uprising represent any conspiracy behind the uprising itself?
 
EnolaGaia said:
Does one politician opportunistically scoring rhetorical points in relation to an uprising represent any conspiracy behind the uprising itself?
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More than one though, the FN called for these demonstrations. Now they're saying the roadblocks won't stop until Le Pen is President. Smells of a coup to me.
 
Mythopoekia,

.., they have a perfectly legit reason for protesting. It's not primarily political trouble-making...

So, if I disagree with something you do you have no objection to me preventing you going about your business ?

Morrisons increases the price of Diesel so it's fine for me to blockade your street so you can't get to work ?

Maybe smashing your car windscreen or kicking in the panels.

All good publicly minded stuff ?

The French are notoriously quick at this kind of thing.

It appears to be genetic.

Viva le Revolution; and all that.

INT21
 
INT21 said:
Mythopoekia,

.., they have a perfectly legit reason for protesting. It's not primarily political trouble-making...

So, if I disagree with something you do you have no objection to me preventing you going about your business ?

Morrisons increases the price of Diesel so it's fine for me to blockade your street so you can't get to work ?

Maybe smashing your car windscreen or kicking in the panels.

All good publicly minded stuff ?

The French are notoriously quick at this kind of thing.

It appears to be genetic.

Viva le Revolution; and all that.

INT21
Click to expand...
Hey, I didn't say it wasn't trouble making - I did say that 'it's not primarily political trouble-making'.
I'm not defending how they are going about their protests - just their right to make their feelings be known.
The way the French tend to go about making a protest is enough to alienate anyone.
Jeez.
 
ramonmercado said:
More than one though, the FN called for these demonstrations. Now they're saying the roadblocks won't stop until Le Pen is President. Smells of a coup to me.
Click to expand...

A coup may be overstating things slightly. There is, however, no doubt that Marine Le Pen and her niece Marion, who is clearly being groomed to be her successor and possibly the first ever female president of France, have been rubbing their hands in glee at the social unrest and have encouraged their supporters to swell the ranks of les gilets jaunes.
Btw, their party is no longer called Le Front National, but was relaunched as the Rassemblement National, usually translated as the National Rally or National Gathering.
 
Mythopoeika

And there is the problem.

Everyone should have a right to voice their feeling but, it must never be allowed to interfere with normal life.

Simply because everyone else has a right not to have their lawful pursuit curtailed by someone who does not agree with something.. particularly something that is out of their control.

In the UK this is a tactic frequently employed by unions.

INT21.
 
INT21 said:
Mythopoeika

And there is the problem.

Everyone should have a right to voice their feeling but, it must never be allowed to interfere with normal life.

Simply because everyone else has a right not to have their lawful pursuit curtailed by someone who does not agree with something.. particularly something that is out of their control.

In the UK this is a tactic frequently employed by unions.

INT21.
Click to expand...

If the protesters were just to engage in civil disobedience, blocking the road but not preventing the police from clearing it and being non-violent it would be a different case imho. If a government is very unpopular and won't listen to genuine grievances then people have a right to be non-violently disruptive, again in imho.

While this protest does have a mass character about it, there is also the very nasty side of things which seem to be caused by National Rally supporters/members.

BMCS is probably correct though, calling it a coup is a bit strong.
 
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Mythopoeika said:
Not blaming himself? There's a surprise.
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Well, Le Pen is supporting if not actually organising the riots. They have ceased to be protests.

Ultra-Left elements have rioted in London (albeit on a lesser scale) against Tory policies. I wouldn't say either Cameron or May were responsible for that violence. Far Right groups aldo rioted in London over the imprisonment of "Tommy Robinson", again May was hardly responsible for this.
 
ramonmercado said:
Well, Le Pen is supporting if not actually organising the riots. They have ceased to be protests.

Ultra-Left elements have rioted in London (albeit on a lesser scale) against Tory policies. I wouldn't say either Cameron or May were responsible for that violence. Far Right groups aldo rioted in London over the imprisonment of "Tommy Robinson", again May was hardly responsible for this.
Click to expand...

And when it comes to rioting, you have to hand it to the French, who invariably take it to the next level!
 
ramonmercado said:
Far Right groups aldo rioted in London over the imprisonment of "Tommy Robinson"...
Click to expand...

What commonly appears to be the case is that the “far right” will stage a demo. They will then be attacked by the “far left”, and a compliant media will report “Violence at Far Right Demo”.

Disclaimer: No connection, no dog in fight blah, blah...

maximus otter
 
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