France: “Yellow Vest” protests scheduled in Paris March 14 /update 47

Event

"Yellow Vest" activists have called for protests in Paris on Saturday, March 14. Participants plan to gather at 08:30 (local time) at the Montparnasse train station and then head towards the Bercy metro station at 11:00, via the Denfert-Rochereau and Les Gobelins metro stations. Another demonstration is scheduled at 13:00 in the Champs-Élysées area, while a third protest is set to take place at 09:30 near the Trocadéro area. A go-slow operation is also to be anticipated on the ring road surrounding Paris starting at 09:00, though organizers did not immediately announce an exact location.

Additional protests are possible in other urban centers across the Paris region and in France.

Associated business and transportation disruptions and a heightened security presence are to be anticipated near all demonstration sites.

Context

The "Yellow Vest" movement began on November 17, 2018, to protest rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax. It 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 2018. Demonstrations have continued despite French government proposals to address protesters' concerns. President Emmanuel Macron announced a series of reforms on April 25, including closing corporate tax loopholes, income tax cuts, linking pensions to inflation by 2020, and reforms to referendum processes, among others.

Advice

Individuals in Paris, and across France are advised to avoid all demonstrations as a precaution, monitor developments, anticipate transportation and business disruptions near protest sites, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.