‘What can Bristolians learn from the Yellow Vests?’

France, like in the UK, sees its level of poverty rising. The Yellow Vests (Gilet Jaunes) want politics to serve 99 per cent of the population rather than the current wealthiest one per cent. Since president Macron was elected, the disposable income of the latter group has increased by six per cent with the fiscal measures he adopted.

In short, the Gilet Jaunes’ protests are still ongoing after 23 weeks of mistreatment from the police. The two major calls by the Gilet Jaunes are the implementation of a Citizens’ Initiative Referendum, to allow citizens to request a referendum on any topic, and a tax on the richest, which Macron abolished, to be brought back.

A rise in inequality should be something that concerns us for several reasons. Our world is on the brink to a civilisation collapse  every individual must make changes for ecological measures to be effective. If the wealthiest of us can subtract themselves from the commons restrictions, no measure can be respected in a democratic nation. The risk then is this nation to become more authoritarian. As an example of increased authoritarianism, there has been 677 reported injuries by the police over the 23 weeks of protests and over ten per cent have been inflicted to journalists covering the protests.

The French government’s reaction to United Nations Human Rights Council’s warnings has been to simply deny any use of excessive force, despite the extremely important use of the flash-ball (an alternative handheld weapon to guns) that has caused 23 civilians to have lost an eye during protests. The use of the tear gas and stun grenades loaded with 25 grams of TNT have led to five people to losing a hand. This is a war weapon (according to the Swiss manufacturer) and it is being used against the population.

What justifies all the violence? The famous ‘there is no alternative’: the press coverage in France of the Gilets Jaunes is extremely conservative and hostile towards those who wanted to bring justice and equality.

TV editorials accuse the protesters to be against ecological measures because they refused the fuel tax increase. An essential point in this shallow reasoning from the press is the idea of incompressible fuel consumption: people living in the country or suburbs, with no decent public transport, cannot do without their cars and they cannot afford the extra 16€ spent in fuel monthly after the tax increase.

This is precisely what triggered one of the largest social movement in the past 40 years. When poverty is brushed under the rug for 30 years, a single spark can shake the whole system.

Another essential facet of the movement is the support of independent media as they have played a key role of sharing information in France. At a time when mainstream media have been spreading the government views and discredit the movement in every possible way, only independent media have gone to the field to give a voice to actual protesters and contributed to the full picture. That is to be cherished.

The first Gilet Jaunes protest took place in Vesoul in November 2018

So what can the UK learn? Poverty in the UK should not be neglected. If the level of inequality keeps rising without being addressed, like it has in France, it will create a strong divide between those who are benefitting from globalisation and those who are left behind.

In a report from November 2018s, professor Philip Alston, United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, identifies that a fifth of the population in the UK is living under the poverty line and predicts a child poverty rate as disastrous as 40 per cent by 2022.

The Gilet Jaunes’ protest should increase the UK’s awareness on sharing the wealth of a country and the need for investment in public services at a time where libraries and public spaces are closing remarkably quickly.

1bn euros have been donated by a handful of billionaires within 48 hours for Notre-Dame reconstruction. It is not a lack of wealth, it is a problem of sharing it. It is time to do so, for social peace and for the planet.

Kevin Garcia is a Gilet Jaunes supporter born in France who has been living in the UK for five years.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.

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