The rise of the ‘anti democratic’ politicians in the EU, the people of France take to the streets to protest the French Government, President Macron is to appeal to French in wake of latest violent protests which has spread to Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Dijon and Toulouse, has the match been struck in Europe against the political elite?

Dear All

Tonight after 4 weekends of rioting, the French President Emmanuel Macron is said to be going to speak at 8 pm to the Nation. If you have missed it, he has been speaking before but in the background which is why French people who have been involved in the protests can be seen covered in blood. It doesn’t and didn’t matter that it was male or female, young or old, even children felt the full force of government to quell unrest.

Having lost the people, President Macron is to appeal to French in wake of latest violent protests, citing that the troubles have been a ‘social and economic catastrophe’. He is also said to be ready to announce “immediate and concrete measures” to respond to protesters’ grievances. The yellow vest protest have spread across France, Paris is a particular hot spot for the protestors which have many disenfranchised white people among their ranks. The fact is that President Macron as a member of the political elite didn’t care for his people; the people have woken up as they have done across the rest of Europe.

An old grievance in politics by people is that ‘nothing ever changes’, well in the name this phrase has a lot of truth behind. Many people are asking, when they vote are they voting for ‘political servants’ or are they voting for ‘political masters’?

If it is the latter, then the democratic system is dead and a sham!

President Macron is said to be meeting local and national political leaders, unions and business leaders to hear their concerns but the real crux of matter is, when he is meeting the ordinary French people? One thing about the yellow vests, they have broken the mould in that they aren’t aligning themselves to local and national political leaders, unions and business leaders. These protests are by people that have been left behind, treated as second class citizens in their own countries while they are forced to stand back and watch others benefit ahead of them.

These protests are, are a nationwide anti-government demonstrations, it would seem obvious what the people of France want, they want Macron gone, they want a general election. And they want it now, they want rid of the political elite. The same feeling has spread to other countries in the EU block, no one wants talks; people want removal and then action. Neither of these two options is something that the 40-year-old centrist French President will consider.

To say that these protests are just about the rising cost of living is a joke, this is the French attempt to ‘manage’ the protestors agenda, haven’t the French had enough of being told what to think?

In Paris, police had prevented a concentration of violence and destruction around the Champs Élysées, as well as the yellow vest protesting, others have joined them, anarchists and criminals. Anarchists think they have found a vehicle to bring down the State, and criminals, they are just looting, taking advantage of the moment.  

Much of the destruction was caused by roving bands of what is termed “casseurs”, urban guerrillas determined to loot and pillage, some of whom were wearing gilets jaunes. This is a tactic to hide among the crowd when the police arrive to restore order. Among the “yellow vest” protestors were also black-clad and masked youths who, the authorities suggested, belonged to ultra-right, ultra-left, or anarchist groups as I mentioned above. I am surprised that the French identitarian movement hasn’t featured more prominently in these protests or maybe the press is ‘managing’ the news?  

One thing you can online is that French security forces, using armoured vehicles and water cannon, were more mobile and reactive than in previous weeks, this was justified by Paris authorities by saying that there had been “much more damage” to contain.

Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said:

“The sector concerned by the incidents was much larger. With fewer barricades, the protests were more dispersed so many more places were affected by the violence. There was much more damage yesterday than there was a week ago.” Paris is set to remain a hotspot; that said, gilets jaunes demonstrations in Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Dijon and Toulouse show that the troubles aren’t localised. After all that France has suffered the people have been pushed to breaking point by politicians.

Although the centrists in Europe love to be called ‘progressives’; what they really are and have become are ‘anti democratic’ politicians! The rise of the ‘anti democratic’ politicians was done by hijacking political parties while preaching about social justice and tolerance.

You have heard of the ‘illiberal elite’?

Think for a quick bit of education.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiberal_democracy

That is what has transpired in European politics.

 President Macron did say this:

“To all the forces of order mobilised today, thank you for the courage and exceptional professionalism you have shown.”

If you saw the bloodied faces of old men and women, you might ask where did they find the courage to do that; and of course is this what passes for exceptional professionalism?

The ministry of the interior said 136,000 people took part in what the gilets jaunes had labelled “Act IV” of their campaign of action. Police arrested 1,723 people, of whom 1,220 remained in custody overnight, 900 of them in Paris alone. This was more than four times as many as the previous week. Officials said 264 people were injured, including 39 police and gendarmes and several journalists. When you cover a ‘war’ you run the risk of being hit in the crossfire from either side, rubber bullets don’t ask questions when launched. Many of the injuries however were caused by the security forces firing flash-ball-style grenades at the crowds. A man who lost a hand after reportedly picking up a crowd control grenade to throw it back, forgot the rule, never pick up live ordnance.

Commenting on the violence in France, US President Trump said:

“The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France”.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign and European affairs minister is reportedly to have replied bluntly to the American president:

“We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated. I say this to Donald Trump and the French president says it too: leave our nation be.”

Finally, when you read the accounts of what is happening in France, you mostly are directed to concentrate on the symptoms by the press and government, but you should look are the causes. The rise of the ‘anti democratic’ politicians is just a French affair, you find the same type of people who have worked themselves into positions of power, the problems of France, are much the same of other countries, the same type of people disenfranchised.

A coincidence or was it more sinister, was it planned?

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University