The yellow vest (gilet jaunes) movement began last November and was named after the high-vis jackets worn by motorists who started the movement. Although the gilet jaunes started by protesting against rising fuel taxes, the movement has become increasingly extreme with the manifestation of anti-government sentiments. To fully understand the evolution of the movement, we must take a closer look at the events that have led to the current state of affairs.

The first major protest on 17 November saw large scale barricades of roads. The protests attracted over 300,000 people and caused widespread chaos. By 21 November there had been 585 injuries and two deaths, which lead to Presidency Macron deploying troops to combat the violence. The gilets jaunes have no official organisation, no identified leader and no political affiliation, so just how did the movement become such a threat to the French government?

It all began with a single online petition to lower fuel taxes launched in May by Priscillia Ludosky. The petition on gained great momentum, and by mid-October it had over 300,000 signatures (now there are one million and counting). The anti-fuel tax petition resonated with middle- and working-class motorists of France, especially as there was impending further fuel tax raises proposed by Macron to take effect in January.

Following the petition, social media played an important role. The idea for a national blockade was launched by Éric Drouet and Bruno Lefevre through the creation of a Facebook event. Also, around this period, a viral video was posted by Ghislain Coutard which proposed the use of high-vis jackets during the protests, the yellow vest has since then become the symbol of this movement. Another important viral video was by Jacline Mourad criticised Macron’s policies as they favoured the rich. The video resonated with the people of France, as many believed the environmental duties were placed unfairly upon them but  the problems were in reality caused by big corporations.

Succeeding the initial protest, increasingly violent protests ensued. On 24 November, protesters set fires in the streets of Paris, and police started using tear gas to deter the protesters. By December the first, an anti-Macron protest was organised marking the beginning of the change from anti-fuel tax to more anti-governmental protests. More than 100 cars were burned on 1 December, and the protests resulted in the death of a second motorist and an elderly Algerian woman. The estimated property damage was 3-4 million Euros.

By 4 December, the proposed tax raises were suspended. However, the protests continued, as the anger with Macron’s pro-business policies have spread like wildfire. Right now, the gilets jaunes crisis is becoming increasingly difficult for the government to deal with, as the movement has gained widespread support in France (polls have found that more than half of French people supported the gilets jaunes in principle). The influence of the gilets jaunes has also spread internationally, with similar protests occurring in multiple countries including Canada, Russia, and Croatia.

The situation in France is also worrying as the movement is slowly being highjacked by anarchists and extremists. Indeed, a poll has shown that many protesters have either not voted or voted for far-right or far-left candidates during the 2017 presidential elections, and it is clear than many of the protests are as insurrectionist in nature. The future of France is shrouded in uncertainty as the protests continue. Will the government regain its stability or will the country spiral further into chaos?