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ÉRAGNY, France – More than 250,000 people in France took part in Saturday's protests over the planned gas tax increases. Drivers blocked roundabouts, access roads to highways and intersections.
The protests attracted more general discontent with high taxes and, for some, President Emmanuel Macron's policy.
Most of the 2,000 demonstrations took place in the suburbs, suburbs and rural areas of France, where people depend on their cars to get to work, go to the doctor and do their shopping. Some protesters also blocked access to border crossing points.
In Paris, some 1,200 demonstrators almost reached the Elysee, the presidential residence, where they shouted: "Macron has resigned," said the Interior Ministry and blocked the Champs-Elysees.
This hostile tone, however, was not evident in most small towns and suburbs.
"We are not politicians. we do not belong to a union, we are citizens, "said Didier Lacombe, a retiree who lives on a fixed income near Eragny, a small town located about an hour away. 39, west of Paris.
"Taxes are increasing on everything. They added taxes in addition to taxes, "said Mr. Lacombe, as he and his wife were preparing to join the demonstration known as" yellow vest "after the mandatory vests in cars French and worn by the demonstrators.
"It's not the gas tax, that's all. Injustice is growing, "he said.
Protesters, whose movement has rapidly merged over the last six to eight weeks through social media, have multiplied rapidly. Although the demonstrations were no greater than those organized by the trade unions opposed to labor reforms, they were remarkably consistent, given the distance between the rallies from the Mediterranean coast to the industrial areas in the north of the country.
Most of the protests were held in order, although one person was killed and more than 200 wounded in accidents or altercations in the country, according to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
The demonstrations do not resemble certain past demonstrations that demanded higher wages. Today, people are looking for a reduction in the tax on gasoline and express their frustration with payroll taxes, which are used for social services such as health care and social security, Alexis said. Spire, senior researcher in sociology at the National Center for Scientific Research. a government research organization.
French taxes, called social charges, can exceed 40% of their salary to cover health care, unemployment insurance and other services.
"It's a big difference with movements like the Tea Party in the United States," Spire said, because the French wanted the government to participate. "The French are very attached to their model of social protection and are also very attached to government services."
For those who live outside cities, it's hard to feel like they're getting value for money. Unemployment remained stubbornly high, at nearly 10%. Rural hospitals have closed, making access to health care more difficult for those in need, despite the country's universal health insurance. The mayor's budgets are decreasing in some localities, which means that City Hall may be open for a shorter period of time or that the administrative tasks performed there have been transferred to another city. It means more driving for those who are left without services.
In recent days, the government has alarmed more and more of the movement. Although it began last May with an online petition on the price of gasoline, it gained popularity in October when the call for a national event to block the main roads was to retain the Government's attention.
In the absence of organization or central coordination, the movement is almost entirely constituted on social media.
"It's a very broad front that gathers people angry at different things. It is inspired by different segments of French society that have rallied around the indignation provoked by taxes and the rising price of gasoline, "said Jérôme Fourquet, chief executive officer of opinion polls for the public. IFOP, a public opinion research firm.
FIFG surveys have recently revealed that around a third of French people are "very dependent" on their cars in their daily lives and another third on "somewhat dependent", so the price of gas has become a problem. key element of the majority of the budget of French citizens.
"The price of fuel is as politically and sociologically sensitive as the price of wheat in the old regime," said Mr. Fourquet, evoking the 18th century as he revolted in part over the price of flour that led to the French Revolution.
Recognizing these days that the movement was snowballing, the government has offered a range of benefits to low-income people. They include subsidies for switching to fuel-efficient cars, subsidies for gasoline purchases and rebates for switching to clean fuel for home heating.
Until now, these offers have done little to calm the anger.
Although some protesters said that they would spend the night on the road and return to their positions in the morning, few people planned to spend the night. It is more likely that the protests will be renewed in the coming days, as it is unlikely that the government will reduce fuel taxes.
The caravan of a hundred cars to which Mr. Lacombe subscribed blocked blocked service stations on the main highways and remained in place all day near the suburbs of Éragny. In the middle of the afternoon, 150 to 200 other cars had joined them, in the small community built in the 1960s and composed mainly of small single-family homes.
The other members of this group claimed to be politically at the center; some had voted for President Emanuel Macron in the last election and were now disillusioned; others have supported center-right candidates.
Many were self-employed, like Muriel Gautherin, 52, a pedicurist who lives in a suburb close to Eragny.
"We are ordinary citizens whose anger simmers, simmers," said Mrs. Gautherin, pulling her red cap over her ears to ward off the morning chill. "Among us, there are retired people who feel fooled, young people whose future is so uncertain and whoever feels politicians do not respect their struggles."
