The French Are Still Angry

Image credit: AP

In Marseille, this protester holds a sign demanding a "citizens referendum". Image credit: AFP

Thousands of "yellow vest" protesters gathered in French cities for a fifth consecutive Saturday of demonstrations. 

Even topless women showed up at the Champs Elysée in Paris as part of the ongoing Yellow Vest protests – called Acte 5: Macron Démission (Act 5: Macron’s Resignation). 

With their bodies and faces covered with bronze paint, they were dressed as red-hooded “Marianne”, a symbol of the French Republic.

Image credit: Sputnik News, December 15, 2018 

Image credit: Benoît Tessier/Reuters

And seventy thousand police officers had been mobilized.

French president Emmanuel Macron called on Friday for a return to calm in the country after nearly a month of protests that have hit the economy and caused widespread disruption. 

In a televised address to the nation on Monday, he had announced wage rises for the poorest workers and tax cuts for pensioners in further concessions meant to end the movement – but many said they would maintain the pressure. 

As one protestor, Priscillia Ludosky had previously said: “We are not understood, we are not heard, our opinions are not sought on the big decisions. I get the impression that when the president speaks to people in the street, he’s completely detached from reality”. 

Antonin Olles, a retired technology teacher explained that social media has played a key role in creating the Yellow Vest movement, and restoring to people here a role in the national debate. 

“The government (weren’t) aware of the power of social media in giving a voice to people who weren’t being heard”, he said. “Not only does it let people air their grievances, it also lets them communicate with people who feel the same way. These people don’t often get to speak to the TV or the newspapers. It’s a way for them to mobilise; to show they exist”. 

BBC News quoted Christophe Guilluy as saying: “In France, people are using the gilets jaunes as a way to say ‘we exist’ to the elites, to the political class, to those who have forgotten about them for the past 20 years…” 

A grassroots movement whose time has come for their collective voice to be heard – and the government cannot pretend they don’t exist anymore. 

On Thursday evening, I was at the Huttons OneWorld HQ office in Metro Genting Klang in Jalan Genting Kelang, KL – special thanks to Immediate Past President Susan Woo for making the arrangement for me to present my speech at the OneWorld Toastmasters Club.

I did a speech from the Humorously Speaking manual, assignment #2 Leave Them With a Smile – the topic “The Funny Side of Her” was suggested by Woo herself during the said meeting. 

And I was voted Best Project Speaker.