France: “Red scarf” protest planned for March 14 /update 1

Event

The "Red scarf" movement will hold demonstations in the capital Paris, as well as in Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, Dijon, Lyon, and Toulouse, starting at 19:00 (local time) on Thursday, March 14.

In Paris, protesters are expected to meet at Place de la République; in Rennes at Place de la République, in Nantes at Place Royale; in Toulouse at Place du Capitole; in Lyon at Place Bellecour; in Dijon at Place de la République. It remains unclear where the demonstration will take place in Bordeaux.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the events. A heightened security presence is expected near the demonstration sites, along with localized transportation disruptions.

Context

The "Red scarf" movement was launched in December in response to "Yellow vests" protests to denounce violence and unrest in anti-government demonstrations. The January 27 demonstration marked the first gathering of the "Red scarf" movement.

As a reminder, the "yellow vest" movement began on November 17, 2018, to protest rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax and has since grown to encompass a number of popular grievances against the French government; some protests have turned violent and acts of vandalism and looting have been reported, although the scale of the protests has diminished since their height in December. Some 1700 demonstrators and 1000 police officers have been wounded in clashes since the protests began.

Advice

Individuals in France are advised to follow all instructions issued by local authorities, avoid all protests due to the risk of violence, allow for extra time to reach their destinations, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.