December was a packed month. From Hanukkah to Christmas to Kwanzaa, December is known for the Holiday season. Besides the Holiday seasons coming into full swing, December was also filled with political difficulties. While the people of the United States were struggling with the government shutdown, France was experiencing their own hardship. France is currently dealing with the wreath of the Yellow Vests. Police officers are hitting the streets with tear gas due to the chaos on the streets of Paris.
It started off on November 17th, when civilians fled to the streets of Paris to demonstrate their frustration with the French government. The protest dubbed as the Yellow Vest, comes from civilians wearing bright neon yellow vests to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Their frustration comes from class inequalities and redistribution of wealth. What first started off with imposing a higher tax on gasoline turned into a major riot. The French President, Emmanuel Macron stood by his decision to raise fuel taxes in order to help flight Climate Change. However, this left regular civilians in France distraught. This ultimate decision of increased fuel tax, guided the French people to call out President Macron on class inequalities and redistribution of wealth in France.
Reference:
Diallo, Rokhaya. “Why Are the ‘Yellow Vests’ Protesting in France?” GCC News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 10 Dec. 2018, www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/yellow-vests-protesting-france-1812060….
Krivokapic | AP, Milos. “France: Year’s 1st Yellow Vest Event Brings Tear Gas, Fires.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 5 Jan. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-protesters-try-to-revive-yello…