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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 6 december 2018
Macron scraps French fuel tax hike amid violent protests

By SYLVIE CORBET ing and classes were can-
SAMUEL PETREQUIN celed.
ANGELA CHARLTON "We need taxes, but they
Associated Press are not properly redistrib-
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- uted," protester Thomas Tri-
dent Emmanuel Macron cottet told BFM television.
scrapped a fuel tax rise The high school students'
Wednesday amid fears of FIDL union called for "mas-
new violence, after weeks sive" protests Thursday and
of nationwide protests and urged France's education
the worst rioting in Paris in minister to step down.
decades. One student was injured
Protesters celebrated the during protests at a high
victory, but some said Ma- school in Saint-Jean-de-
cron's surrender came Braye in north-central
too late and is no longer France. BFM said he was
enough to quell the mount- shot in the head with a rub-
ing anger at the president, ber bullet. Julien Guiller, a
whom they consider out of spokesman for the regional
touch with the problems of school administration, told
ordinary people. the AP that the student was
Macron decided Wednes- expected to survive.
day to "get rid" of the tax Until he scrapped the fuel
planned for next year, an tax rise, Macron's actions
official in the president's after returning from the
office told The Associated G-20 summit in Argentina
Press. Prime Minister Ed- had done little to persuade
ouard Philippe told law- protesters that he was lis-
makers the tax is no longer A demonstrator wearing a yellow jacket reading " Macron give us the wealth tax" protests at the tening to their concerns.
included in the 2019 bud- toll gates on a motorway at Biarritz southwestern France, Wednesday, Dec.5, 2018. He has refrained from
get. Associated Press speaking publicly about
The decision has ramifica- the protests and has largely
tions beyond France, since Police warned of potential damentally change the after trucking unions called remained in his palace.
the fuel tax rise was part of violence during demon- movement," she said. for a rolling strike. On Tuesday night, he was
Macron's efforts to wean strations in Paris on Satur- Three weeks of protests Trade unions so far have jeered as he traveled to
France off fossil fuels in or- day, with one small security have caused four deaths, not played a role in the a regional government
der to reduce greenhouse forces union threatening a injured hundreds and lit- yellow vest protest move- headquarters that was
gases and help slow cli- strike. tered central Paris with ment but are now trying to torched by protesters over
mate change. Its withdraw- So after nightfall Wednes- burned cars and shattered capitalize on growing pub- the weekend.
al is both a blow to broad- day, as parliament de- windows. lic anger. A joint statement One activist said Wednes-
er efforts to fight climate bated the 2019 budget, The sweep of the protests from the CGT and the FO day that he fears more
change and a warning to Macron's government sud- and their wide support by trucking unions called for deaths if Saturday's yellow
other world leaders trying denly gave in. citizens of all political stripes action Sunday night to pro- vest demonstration in Paris
to do the same thing. "I have no problem with has shocked Macron's gov- test a cut in overtime rates. goes ahead and urged
The "yellow vest" protests admitting that on such or ernment. In the last few The FNSEA farmers union Macron to speak out and
began Nov. 17 over the such question we could days, Paris saw the worst said it would fight to help calm the nation.
government plan to raise have done differently, that anti-government riot since French farmers earn a bet- "If not there will be chaos,"
taxes on diesel and gaso- if there is such a level of an- 1968, French students set ter income but would not said Christophe Chalen-
line, but by the time Macron ger ... it's because we still fires outside high schools to officially be joining forces con.
bowed to three weeks of have a lot of things to im- protest a new university ap- with the "yellow vests" — Chalencon, a 52-year-old
violence and abandoned prove," the prime minister plication system, small busi- protesters wearing the blacksmith from southern
the new fuel tax, protest- told legislators. ness owners blocked roads high-visibility vests that mo- France, told the AP the
ers were demanding much Philippe said "the tax is to protest high taxes, and torists are required to keep French public needs Ma-
more. Many workers in now abandoned" in the retirees marched to protest in their cars. cron to "admit he made a
France are angry over the 2019 budget, and the gov- the president's perceived French police have cleared mistake, with simple words
combination of low wages, ernment is "ready for dia- elitism. most of the fuel depots that ... that touch the guts and
high taxes and high unem- logue." The budget can be Macron's popularity has protesters blocked earlier heart of the French."
ployment that have left renegotiated through the slumped to a new low since in the week, but fuel short- In a disparaging tweet, U.S.
many people struggling fi- year, but given the scale the demonstrations be- ages still hit parts of France President Donald Trump
nancially. of the recent protests, Ma- gan. The former investment on Wednesday, affecting claimed that Macron's de-
On Tuesday, the govern- cron is unlikely to revive the banker, who has pushed hundreds of gas stations. cision Tuesday to delay the
ment agreed to suspend added fuel tax idea any- pro-business economic re- Demonstrators also gas tax hike showed that
the fuel tax rise for six time soon. forms to make France more blocked toll booths, let- the French leader doesn't
months. But instead of ap- Jacline Mouraud, one of competitive globally, is ac- ting drivers pass without believe in the 2015 Paris
peasing the protesters, it the self-proclaimed spokes- cused of being the "presi- paying, to press demands global climate accord.
spurred other groups to join people for the disparate dent of the rich" and of that ranged from higher in- The Trump tweet came as
in, hoping for concessions yellow vest movement, told being estranged from the comes and pensions to the thousands of climate ex-
of their own. The protests the AP that Macron's con- working classes. dissolution of the National perts were meeting in Po-
took on an even bigger di- cession "comes much too On Wednesday, France's Assembly, France's parlia- land to work out national
mension Wednesday with late, unfortunately." largest farmers union said ment. At Tolbiac University responsibilities in the fight to
trade unions and farmers "It's on the right path, but it will launch anti-govern- in downtown Paris, students reduce emissions and slow
vowing to join the fray. in my opinion it will not fun- ment protests next week, took over a school build- global warming.q