Do some French people see what's going on? Yellow Vest Protests

As one of the comments stated (about the tweet below): "And where are the law enforcement forces? It's not @GiletsJaunes that"

Translated from French by Microsoft
🇫🇷[Damage] of the ninjas breakers and some #GiletsJaunes try by all means to break the glass of a bank to #Toulouse. Several banks and businesses were attacked and robbed. The streets are full of tear. #ActeX #19Janvier

Menawhile Harmony in Toulouse and lack of accuracy of the true numbers in attendance.


And in Paris, a day in the life of the Gilets Jaunes!

 
President Emmanuel Macron told dozens of the world’s most powerful executives on Monday that he would not follow the path of guillotined French royals and would continue to reform the French economy despite a sometimes violent popular revolt.

January 21, 2019 - In Versailles, Macron vows to reform to avoid King's fate
In Versailles, Macron vows to reform to avoid king's fate | Reuters

r
French President Emmanuel Macron reacts after he delivered his new year wishes to the military during a ceremony on the Toulouse-Francazal airbase in Toulouse, France, January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

For the second year running, Macron hosted corporate A-listers like Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel and JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon at a pre-Davos dinner at Versailles.

Exactly 226 years after the decapitation of Louis XVI, who failed to plug the crown’s dismal finances and quell popular discontent over a sclerotic feudal society, Macron started his speech by invoking the king and his wife Marie-Antoinette.

“If they met such an end, it is because they had given up on reforming,” Macron told the guests, according to his office.
 
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Instead of taking care of the huge problem he has in his country, he prefers to do business as if nothing was happening. What a moron. Moron to be part of the game, and moron becase he is one. But the guillotine is there, he himself named it. Because he is acting like a King, doing business (money) instead of taking care of people that are living hard situations. He is really a vomitive politician. I have difficulty to look at his face. He is insupportable.
 
Instead of taking care of the huge problem he has in his country, he prefers to do business as if nothing was happening. What a moron. Moron to be part of the game, and moron becase he is one. But the guillotine is there, he himself named it. Because he is acting like a King, doing business (money) instead of taking care of people that are living hard situations. He is really a vomitive politician. I have difficulty to look at his face. He is insupportable.

Never heard this expression before, but its a good one to describe him! On a related note, I am so happy for the French people for their rising up against Macron and, more importantly, what he represents. It was upsetting to see that France was basically getting another Obama, because it seemed to take literally years for some Americans to not only recognize that he was the same as the old boss (Bush) - but even worse in a sense - for having conned many into buying into his brand of faux liberalism - an awful bait and switch.

As for the uprising now progressing in France, it has to be one of the most important developments to be happening in all the West; it not only demonstrates to the world that people are authentically speaking truth to power but that, in the face of it, Macron is only capable of responding with intransigence and belligerence. His response being to make the stupid statements he's been making, and employing police state thugs to badly injure protestors from the shadows.

It is also heartening that, in spite of the lack of honest media coverage, the Yellow Vest movement has struck a chord with many around the world who are now, also, speaking out. This definitely speaks to the fact that many are still seeking Real news and information, and seem prepared to act on it.
 
Because he is acting like a King, doing business (money) instead of taking care of people that are living hard situations.

Yes, like a corrupt king he receives in Versailles the court that got him on the throne and he gives them what they put him in power for: privileges and resources at the expenses of the plebeians who created those very resources.
 
Alexandre Langlois is a police officer. Threatened by his hierarchy for "disloyalty", he denounced the government's management of law enforcement in the context of the yellow vest movement, the instrumentalization of law enforcement by the government, and the difficult working conditions in a context of increasing police suicide cases.

 
Alexandre Langlois : Open letter to the President of the Republic on freedom of association and respect for the law at the Ministry of the Interior.
VIGI (@VIGI_MI) | Twitter
And
Objet : lettre ouverte à Monsieur le Président de la République sur la liberté syndicale et le respect du droit au Ministère de l’Intérieur

This whistleblower is really brave. His career is over, but I fear for his life...

Mr. President of the Republic,

On behalf of my union, I denounced the falsification of crime figures in Marseille and that this allowed the Departmental Director of Public Security, Mr Jean-Marie SALANOVA, to receive bonuses, while facilitating his progress. Since then, Mr. SALANOVA, thanks to his "good" results, has become Central Director of Public Security.

We alerted the Director General of the National Police, Mr. Éric MORVAN, who decided to conduct an internal audit. As the latter agrees with us, he has made the choice not to communicate it to us or to make it public.

We therefore report on the IGPN platform that two police officers, Mr. SALANOVA and Mr. MORVAN, are likely to have committed a crime or misdemeanour: here false in writing and misappropriation of public funds, because the directors receive bonuses that can amount to several tens of thousands of euros, on these figures.

The Comptroller General, Head of the Investigation Coordination Unit, Mr David CHANTREUX, replied that: "Freedom of trade union expression does not release us from the duty of reserve or the obligation not to undermine the institution's credit. However, by expressly challenging the integrity of the Director General of the National Police, by imputing to him a participation in the offence of forgery in writing when it applies only to writings establishing proof of a right or fact having legal consequences (which is absolutely not the case with crime statistics, unlike the procedures covered by them), it seems to me that you are entering into a legally dangerous field, whether on a judicial or administrative level. »

Mr. President of the Republic, can you confirm that in the Ministry of the Interior and more particularly in the National Police, freedom of trade union expression no longer exists?

In the National Police, if the Director General is implicated, it is the latter, the alleged perpetrator, judge and party who will decide what action to take. In this case, there was no investigation into forgeries and misappropriation of public funds, but the whistleblower was held responsible for breach of the duty of confidentiality, damage to the credit and reputation of the National Police and lack of loyalty.

First, a first reflection on the IGPN itself. Indeed, in 2001, France signed a European police code of ethics which states in article 59: "the police must be accountable to the State, citizens and their representatives. It shall be subject to effective external control". Mr President of the Republic, we are aware of your attachment to Europe, so why does France not apply this text?

Moreover, the duty of confidentiality does not exist in Law 83-634, which is the basis for the status of the civil service and therefore of the police officers. Mr Anicet LE PORS, author of this law, reminds us again in 2012: "No, the obligation of reserve does not appear in the general status of civil servants. This is not an oversight, but a thoughtful decision made in 1983. Mr President of the Republic, does the hierarchy of standards still exist in France? If so, how can a decree, our 2014 Code of Ethics, go against the law by restricting freedom?

The conclusion of the IGPN speaks of a perilous terrain, which is a thinly veiled threat and attempt at intimidation. Is it your conception of social dialogue that trade union repression is your conception of social dialogue?

I was auditioned by the IGPN, for my union commitment and be sanctioned as a civil servant, even though I am very well rated professionally. Mr. President of the Republic, do you support the use of such coercive methods where the employer can sanction a union delegate when he exercises his mandate? Especially since the IGPN used falsified "evidence" to incriminate me in its proceedings.

My trade union organisation has referred the matter to the prosecutor to denounce these forgeries in public records and embezzlement of public funds, but for the moment the case seems to be blocked. Mr. President of the Republic, you assume that the Public Prosecutor's Office is under the orders of the executive branch, in which case could you give instructions so that this matter can progress impartially?

The Director General replied by filing a complaint of defamation, which was dismissed without further action, concerning our accusations against him. He also deceives by diverting the disciplinary procedure from its missions, in order to circumvent the prosecutor's decision.

Moreover, on behalf of my trade union organization, I denounced that Mr. Eric MORVAN, since his appointment as Director General of the National Police, has seen 60 of our colleagues commit suicide. He did nothing but simply did not look for any leaders and made a telegram on January 22, 2019. Our colleagues are dying while we have proposed avenues of reflection to put an end to this "massacre". Consequently, the Director is once again suing me for lack of loyalty, damage to the credit and reputation of the National Police and breach of the duty of confidentiality. Mr President of the Republic, do you support the fact that it is the whistleblower who is being disciplined, while my colleagues continue to die?

My organization has also denounced the serious breaches of the statutory doctor of Dr. FREY of SGAMI East: paradoxical injunctions, harassment, discrimination, blackmail, threats, intimidation, violations of medical confidentiality, etc. I am being prosecuted again for disciplinary action, but this time there is not even an investigation, I go directly to the disciplinary board. Mr President of the Republic, you who are a European, does Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights apply in France? If so, is there an exception in the National Police?

Dr. FREY also has me appear before the Metz court for defamation on February 28.

I note that senior officials use public money and public service for their personal vendetta. To defend ourselves we do not have the state coffers, unlike them. These repeated delaying procedures seem to have only one purpose, to prevent us from becoming trade unionists and to make us spend our limited financial resources, in the hope that we no longer have the money necessary to defend ourselves.

The IGPN told me at my hearing that "the procedure will go fast, because we are in a year of professional election and it must be completed before". This implies that the General Manager wants to sanction me beforehand.

The Disciplinary Board did not meet, but curiously following the positions taken by our union in the media on the management of the "yellow vest" demonstrations, the matter came up. Is it a means of coercion that you approve of, even though we simply want our purchasing power to increase and we want to become peacekeepers again and not law enforcement or OUR peacekeepers. Mr. President of the Republic, you who were Charlie, is that your conception of Freedom of Expression?

In fact, our organization had organized a rally of support on February 14, 2019, which we would declare and began to ask witnesses to come and be heard at the disciplinary board. Strangely enough, the board has been postponed to February 20. Mr. President of the Republic, do you support such "de facto Prince's practices", which have only one purpose: to prevent a demonstration of support from being organized and the arrival of witnesses in defence?

Finally, during my disciplinary council, I would be judged by the administration, which is prosecutor, judge and party, as well as the representatives of the majority unions "elected" during the last professional elections, against which 4 organizations, including VIGI. Department have filed complaints of fraud. To such an extent that the Ministry of the Interior must acknowledge that the sincerity of the election was distorted in the Chained Duck of 19 December 2019. Mr. President, is your conception of democracy the "stuffing" of the ballot boxes and the councils of disciplines acting as courts of the inquisition?

Mr President of the Republic, I can only assume that your staff have not informed you of all these facts, starting with Mr CASTANER, the Minister of the Interior. So I ask for your personal intervention to put an end to the persecutions of me as a whistleblower.

I would like to bring to your attention that I have ordered the administration to pay me the sum of 6500€ for its actions against me by a decision of the Versailles Administrative Court No 1504355, dated 5 March 2018. For the moment, despite a request to the Police Headquarters and a report to my director, the Ministry of the Interior refuses to implement the court decision. Mr President of the Republic, could you oblige the Minister of the Interior to pay me this sum, plus legal interest? Unless you confirm that the Laws of the Republic and judicial decisions do not apply to the Ministry of the Interior.

Finally, Mr President of the Republic, I renew a request for an audience with your authority to make proposals to put an end to the suffering of my colleagues, by reforming the National Police institution, which is recognized as structurally pathogenic by specialists and experts.

While waiting for a reply from you, please believe, Mr President of the Republic, in the expression of my best wishes.

Alexandre LANGLOIS
Secretary General

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When Russia uses yellow vests at the UN Security Council !

Quand la Russie se sert des Gilets jaunes au Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU
During discussions in the Security Council on the unrest in Venezuela, Vassili Nebenzia, Russian Ambassador to the UN, wondered whether it might be better to talk about the yellow vests. An exit that has ulcerated France.

Vassili Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, made a statement that France was not appreciated at all at the extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council on 26 January.

At the origin of this bitter-sweet exchange, there is a rather dry remark from the German ambassador who told his Russian counterpart that this meeting on the situation in Venezuela had not only been requested by the United States but also by Peru and the Dominican Republic, non-permanent members of the Security Council. In Venezuela, there is a "potential threat to peace", so it is necessary to do "preventive diplomacy", Christoph Heusgen pointed out, staring at Vassili Nebenzia.

"Preventive diplomacy is very beautiful...", replied the latter, looking thoughtful before adding: "What would you think if Russia asked the Security Council to discuss the situation in France? And yellow vests that took to the streets by the thousands again this weekend?"

"I reassure the representative of France[Anne Gueguen, Deputy Ambassador] that we have no intention of bringing this situation before the Security Council," the Russian ambassador said immediately after.

"We ask to respect legitimate authorities, not to interfere in countries' internal affairs, not to impose solutions from outside but to help Venezuelans solve their problems by peaceful means," he said.


Speaking again under the stunned gaze of the other participants, Christoph Heusgen regretted that his Russian counterpart "did not respond" to what he had said about "gross human rights violations". "He talked about 22,000 demonstrators in France but not about the 3.3 million Venezuelans who fled their country," the German diplomat noted.

Later, the intervention of the Venezuelan head of diplomacy, Jorge Arreaza, also gave rise to the mention of the Yellow Vests movement in France, which for the eleventh consecutive Saturday, was still more than 69,000 people marching in the country at 6pm, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior. Their demands have not changed. They are demanding better living conditions from French President Emmanuel Macron.

"What right does France and others have to issue an 8-day ultimatum" to call elections in Venezuela, said Jorge Arreaza. "Macron, instead of looking at the yellow vests, comes to talk about Venezuela, mind your own business," the Venezuelan minister said to him.
France annoyed by Russian and Venezuelan remarks

This reference to the yellow vests was very unfortunate to France, which did not, however, take the floor to respond publicly on this subject during the Security Council meeting. "Russian and Venezuelan remarks about France and the Yellow Vests are inappropriate and irrelevant", nevertheless carried a French diplomat away under cover of anonymity, in a statement made on the sidelines of the UN session. "Venezuela is going through an unprecedented political, humanitarian and human rights crisis, three million people have crossed borders to escape this situation which is clearly having a destabilizing impact on the region," he said.

"Suggesting a comparison with the Yellow Vests is completely inappropriate and irrelevant, the elections in France are democratic and we are dealing with our internal situation in a way that respects the rule of law and dialogue," this French source asserts.

In Paris and several other cities in France, the Yellow Vests were called upon to continue their demonstrations in the evening to participate in a "Yellow Night".

Russian diplomats are teasing, aren't they?:-D

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Yellow vests: Eric Drouet reportedly called for "an unprecedented uprising"

After the hospitalization of Jérôme Rodrigues, a prominent figure in the Yellow Vests who was injured in the eye** during act 11 by a police shooting, a statement signed "La France en colère!!!!" was broadcast on social networks.

** See for yourselves:
50647988_1743574615749294_3720897448911044608_n.jpg

JĂ©rome Rodrigues: "I'm going to lose my eye".


On January 26, at the end of the eleventh act of the Yellow Vests' mobilization, a communiqué signed "La France en colère !!!!"! (a Facebook group founded by Eric Drouet) has been broadcast on social networks. In the wake of Jérôme Rodrigues' hospitalization, the text calls on the Yellow Vests to "an unprecedented uprising".

Libération journalist Vincent Glad published a copy of this document on Twitter, the last lines of which state: "The press releases issued by La France en colère!!!! must come from the Facebook group. Make no mistake about it by checking to see if it is indeed published there."

However, the day after Act 11, the document did not appear on the group that was supposed to have written it; moreover, Eric Drouet's Facebook account seems to be missing. Has the content been deleted by its administrator or by the Facebook social network?

Presented as a press release, the text is a reaction to the injury of JĂ©rĂ´me Rodrigues, one of the mediatized personalities of the Yellow Vests movement. "Yellow vests declare a state of emergency", says the second line.

Very virulent towards "agents of the authorities who do not respect the conditions of use of their weapons", the communiqué also accuses the Minister of the Interior of having let the Black Blocks "take the lead in several processions while naively waiting for them to take action". Calling on the Yellow Vests to organize themselves more than ever, the text concludes: "Citizens, form your battalions".

On the evening of the 26th of January, shortly after JĂ©rĂ´me Rodrigues was taken to medical care, the Prefecture of Police announced that it had referred the matter to the Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN) "so that the circumstances in which this injury occurred can be established".

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
 
What is the point of international law when those who are supposed to defend it do not care, and what is the point of maintaining at great expense a United Nations that is obviously useless?

If the imprescriptible human rights are indeed freedom, property, security, and resistance to oppression, the situation will soon become considerably more complicated in the Western clan, the grosso-modo initiator of these human and civil rights. with leaders who, more and more openly, violate the laws of which they are the guarantors, and this, without their responsibility can be either engaged or revoked. We did cut off heads for less than that.

Since: "When the government violates the rights of the people (see above), insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties", it seems to me that we are entering an era of gentle-villains, where legitimate opposition to the (failing) guarantor of public order can only be outlawed in the eyes of the powerful, when it does nothing but be faithful to the spirit and the letter of its laws. In short, our founding texts put us in a real black shit.

We do have an institutional problem, and it is not just the fact of the 5th French republic, it goes far beyond that to a profound questioning of the so-called "lights", which we know are fundamentally Freemasons and at the origin of most national constitutions, all over the world. I'm telling you, we're not close to get our asses out of the brambles, that's for sure!
 
Macron seen by François HENROT his former director at Rothschild Bank
Question
: how can his job as an investment banker help Macron to be effective in politics?

Answer: you learn the art of negotiation (to lie), that you really learn the art of negotiation (to lie interspersed with half truth).
We are also led a lot and it is I was going to say fortunately or unfortunately useful in politics to... communicate, that is to say to tell (stories / tales / bullshit, in this sense) a story in the jargon when we do a transaction, we build what is called an "equity story" which is the story that will (coax) make shareholders want to vote this transaction, buy the shares, or bring their shares.
So in a way we also learn techniques of (MANIPULATION) not manipulation of opinion but (MANIPULATION!!!!) a little bit

And let's take a little step back before the Macron president :

MACRON will govern by "Orders"

May 06, 2017

Jean-Yves Le Gallou: Orders - for anyone other than Macron, we would have screamed at the anti-democratic scandal!

Emmanuel Macron said it several times during the campaign: if elected, he will govern by ordinance this summer. With what consequences? Explanations.

Emmanuel Macron, this morning, recalled that ordinances were in the Constitution, that they were permitted and that it was no less democratic to work by ordinance than by Parliament.
In French constitutional law, an ordinance is a measure taken by the government in matters normally covered by the law. It is part of the delegated legislative procedure.

Under the current framework of the Fifth Republic, the Government may only issue ordinances if it has been authorized to do so by Parliament, in accordance with article 38 of the Constitution, or authorized by the Constitution in the case of certain provisions relating to overseas territories (article 74-1). Similar to regulations, ordinances come into force as soon as they are published. However, they only become law after they have been ratified by Parliament within a fixed period of time.

The ordinance procedure extends the practice of the decree-laws of the Third and Fourth Republic and takes up the principle of the exclusive legislative authority of the kings of France under the Ancien RĂ©gime.Ordonnance - Wikipedia

MACRON gouvernera par "Ordonnances"
"We see all the arrogance of Mr. Macron who thinks that the election is won... establish a kind of dictatorship of the banks, he is the beneficiary of a coup d'Ă©tat of the banking system, a coup d'Ă©tat of the media system that propelled him to the first place that will allow him to be elected, and to set up this program, he wants to do so as quickly as possible and without hindrance or the need to govern by orders.... we cry out for an anti-democratic scandal when we talk about referendum, which is the most democratic procedure there is, we find it normal after all that Mr Macron should announce coldly even before his election that he will govern by ordinances, without a parliament. "
To the journalist's question whether Macron can tomorrow direct by ordinance on any subject.
Jean -Yves Le gallou replied:" I fear so, Article 38 of the Constitution provides that the government may legislate by ordinances and the President of the Republic then signs the ordinances on all areas of the law?
We can think that Mr Macron will use the ordinances to reform the labour code, but he can also reform by ordinances the laws on freedoms of the? and for example aggravate the laws on freedoms, such as the Pleven law or extend control on the Internet and social networks;
I think that this is very worrying in terms of public freedoms...
It is more urgent than ever to block Macron."

Le mépris est un sentiment-émotion intensif négatif, mélange de dégoût et de colère, à l'égard d'un individu, de soi, ou groupe d'individus perçu comme inférieur ou sans intérêt
Contempt is an intensive negative emotional feeling, a mixture of disgust and anger, towards an individual, self, or group of individuals perceived as inferior or of no interest

Not only Macron is contemptuous of yellow vests and other beggars in France, but his social policy put into practice is a good and proper pounding of the mouth.(bunkum/piss take...)
He is the perfect packaging for bankers who, unlike his predecessors of presidents, fully and voluntarily accept his mission.
The yellow vests are the unexpected thorn that has slowed him down in his mission, and in view of the serious wounds of the yellow vests that continue, not only Macron is wounding French hearts and souls with his reforms, with the same contempt he is breaking, punishing, demolishing the flesh of these same French people who only ask for something to live decently, and for that they are even deprived of a part of themselves.
Definitively "it is more urgent than ever to stop macron".
 
Here are some videos for some interesting points about what is happening now, and who knows in the future...
I am very sorry for the English speakers for not being able to translate the following videos.
MACRON: "a liar, a thief, a usurper"
Pierre Jovanovic reacts to the yellow vest movement and the political crisis in France
Pierre Jovanovic: "I warned the French long in advance that Macron being trapped by debt, and will have no other solution, no other way out than to empty the pockets of the French!"
The full video:

MACRON OR THE ORGY OF THE ULTRA-RICH - MONIQUE PINÇON-CHARLOT
The Pinçon-Charlot investigation, "The President of the Rich", published in 2010, is undoubtedly one of the most severe symbolic blows to Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency. Today the famous sociologist couple publishes "Le Président des ultra-riches", a book that will not help to reconcile the French with Emmanuel Macron, in the middle of the yellow vest crisis. "Chronicle of class contempt without Emmanuel Macron's politics", it is subtitled. They detail the journey of the "leader of the free markets" as Forbes magazine had nicknamed him, and the constant returns of elevators to the most affluent of this President chosen by the caste to serve the caste. The demonstration is fierce, relentless. Hello Monique Pinçon-Charlot, and thank you for being with us at Le Média today. By Aude Lancelin

Eric Hazan, Revolutionary Specialist: "This system is in its final stages"
Founder of the publishing house La Fabrique and author of historical works, Eric Hazan gave an interview to RT France. In particular, it provided historical insight into the movement of the yellow vests. For him, "this is unprecedented".
 
Just on cue...

Why are France's yellow vest protests so white? - link to Al Jazeera article

Why are France's yellow vest protests so white?

Few minorities attend rallies demanding change from President Macron, which have seen outbursts of racism.
by Alice Kantor
28 Jan 2019

Paris, France - Youcef Brakni was preparing to hit the send button on his Facebook post when he took a moment to reconsider.


Finally, his organisation, the Adama Committee, an anti-racism and anti-police-violence group, had decided to join the yellow vest movement. But Brakni wasn't sure his voice would be heard.


"We're always associated with violence," he said later. "Whether you stay out of protests or get involved, you're associated with violence."


Finally, he decided to push the button and join the protests.


Critical of French President Emmanuel Macron's socioeconomic policies and worried about unemployment and rising poverty in his neighbourhood, he found common ground with the yellow vest protesters.


Yet his group stands out.


Despite suffering from high living costs and difficult access to benefits, minorities have been reluctant to join the yellow vest movement, with few seen in demonstrations.


Their absence noticed by newspapers and TV stations across France.

"Banlieues are hesitant to join yellow vests" read a Le Monde article, referring to the impoverished dwellings outside urban centres, which are overwhelmingly represented by minorities.


"There's been an underrepresentation of immigrants, people from North Africa or the rest of Africa," said Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme, an anti-racism organisation.


With immigrants and minorities suffering from disproportionate rates of unemployment and poverty, similarities with yellow vests when it comes to pay and work are obvious.


"It's the France that's forgotten, the France that's left behind," said Brakni.

Yet a study by sociologist Herve Le Bras suggested that yellow vest protesters are overwhelmingly from rural areas, where there are few minority groups.


"It's a white movement," said Rafik Chekkat, a law expert and editor of the website Etat d'Exception.


"The question of minorities and their specific concerns are not central to yellow vests."


The protests, which began late last year, have gathered momentum on issues of the erosion of people's purchasing power, the widening of the wealth gap and a proposed tax on cars' fuel consumption.


They are not focused on racism nor have they embraced minorities, said Chekkat.

"If you look at the [2017] presidential elections, racial questions were never discussed," said Chekkat.


Because minorities were left out of politics, they have not been accommodated space in demonstrations either, said Chekkat.


"There's nothing new in the fact that people of colour stay out of protests."


Another deterrent is how the media describes minorities, specifically in how they come from the banlieues, Chekkat said.


The term is at times meant pejoratively and brings back memories of the 2005 uprising when young people in these neighbourhoods burned cars to protest police brutality and inequality under then-President Nicolas Sarkozy - who in return described them as "racaille", or scum.


"There's something almost racist in using that term [banlieues] to talk about race as if people of colour were one homogenous group," said Chekkat.


Banlieues were, in other cases, accused of starting the yellow vest movement; minorities are seen as troublemakers, rioters and thugs, said Chekkat.


Referring to the rise of far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who made it to the second and final round of the 2017 vote, SOS Racisme's Sopo added: "France has not been immune to the rise of populism in Europe."


To him, the question of racism has become unpopular across the political spectrum and has been replaced with discussions on identity and nationalism.

Racist outbursts

The yellow vest movement, meanwhile, has witnessed outbursts of racism.


In one instance, white yellow vest protesters forced a black woman out of her car and insulted her in front of her children, telling her to "go back to [her] country."


"It's white France that's suffering," said Jean-Yves Le Gallou, a self-proclaimed yellow vest member and far-right politician.


"Bourgeois France duped us, telling us migrants are poor," added Eric Zemmour, a right-wing writer.


Minorities have been reluctant to join a movement that might very well turn against them, said Sopo.

"When you're of foreign descent, you know that populism can easily turn against you," he said. "A movement with anger at its roots can easily turn it on migrants and their kids."


Some minorities in urban areas have found the rallying call around tax on car oil irrelevant to them.


Others were worried that joining protests would cast a negative light on a population already marginalised and attacked by state institutions.


"Justice in France is not colour blind," said Chekkat, who explained that a friend of his of Arab descent was sentenced to days in prison for participating in yellow vest protests in Marseille.


Minorities face tougher sentences, with immigrants comprising 30 percent of France's prison population despite accounting for less than six percent of the overall population, according to a 2015 study.


Brakni decided to join the movement to use the momentum of the yellow vests to shed light on his organisation's specific concerns.


The Adama Committee was created to stop police violence against minorities. It was launched after the death of Adama Traore, a 24-year-old man of Malian descent, who died in 2016 in police custody.


"There's systemic racism, at the highest level of the state," said Brakni. "Police target people from former colonies. They marginalise us. They hit us, sometimes to death."


With police responding violently to protests after Macron promised a crackdown, police brutality has come in the spotlight.


"People see things differently now," said Brakni.


Yet, while the yellow vest demonstrators have made progress with Macron walking back some of his policies, including the tax on car oil consumption, neither the movement nor the government have addressed systemic racism or discriminatory police violence.


Looking at Macron's letter to start a national debate earlier this month, the focus was put on identity and immigration, not on racism.


"Regarding these issues," said Brakni on systemic racism, "we'll see. It's too soon to tell."
 
Nice telescoping of subjects!

It seems to me that the assertion of white movement is to be greatly nuanced, it is enough to observe the color of some figures of the movement. Then associating suburbs and migrants is more than doubtful because they are very different situations and it is understandable that people in an irregular situation do not go to be spotted on the elysées fields, in moments of celebration like those we have recently experienced.

And finally, should we be surprised or pretend to discover that France, unlike its football team, is rather a country of white people? So should we feel guilty about that too?
 
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