As you may have heard, Paris is burning — again — this time over a fuel tax increase to help fight climate change:
Parisians know how to revolt.
ht @BrankoMilan pic.twitter.com/IKC9jiw3Mp— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) December 3, 2018
“We’ll always have Paris.”#Paris #ParisRiot2018 #ParisProtests #gilletJaunes #GiletsJaunesParis #EmmanuelMacron pic.twitter.com/qz0YADBwd3
— (((Mike Glenn))) (@mrglenn) December 2, 2018
The riots aren’t just about the fuel tax increase, but a response to all of French President Macron’s “liberal reforms”:
Wire news services continue to link Paris riots (yellow vests) to Macron's fuel tax increases — straw that broke the camel's back on demonstrators.
Macron not backing down (on climate change taxation) so some expect police to crush the rebellion.https://t.co/V5xtFh6T8S pic.twitter.com/XGAjy2LKOi
— Ryan Maue | weathermodels.com (@RyanMaue) December 2, 2018
According to reports, over 400 were arrested in the protests over the weekend:
BREAKING: Paris police say 133 injured, 412 arrested during France's worst urban riot in years.
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 2, 2018
President Macron will discuss next steps with his cabinet and other officials today:
French President Emmanuel Macron calls emergency meeting after worst unrest in a decade https://t.co/foa9dl57FX pic.twitter.com/uap8MDEp18
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 2, 2018
But one of the options is a police crackdown on the demonstrations:
French President Emmanuel Macron is considering an emergency crackdown after protests against his government's policies escalated violently https://t.co/Giwhl0ahlV
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) December 3, 2018
But will the police actually comply? TBD:
BREAKING: WATCH: Paris: A group of French police officers remove their helmets to show solidarity with the French people against President Emmanuel Macron, as anti Macron protests continue throughout France. #GiletsJaunes pic.twitter.com/viNsNmBpvy
— BNL NEWS (@BreakingNLive) December 2, 2018
The rioters even destroyed statues inside the Arc de Triomphe:
Paris protesters smashed this statue of the Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic, inside the Arc de Triomphe. Protesters also damaged other statues in the monument and destroyed the gift shop. https://t.co/yEXH5OdROT pic.twitter.com/9rHQt23d7Q
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) December 2, 2018
President Macron was even booed when he toured the destruction over the weekend:
WATCH | Golden Boy of the European Union, @EmmanuelMacron booed on his return to France as he visits sites of the worst riots for 50 years. His approval rating is now just 23%…
?♂️ Support us at https://t.co/iICfFb8qqg pic.twitter.com/VenLrfwhGB
— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) December 2, 2018
Is really a shock to anyone that normal people would be angry about financing these green boondoggles?
France's Macron learns the hard way: green taxes carry political risks https://t.co/2CcRi9yYjf
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) December 2, 2018
Really insightful piece by @csdickey on the Paris riots being fueled by the costs of meeting the Paris Climate Accord’s new taxes & a sense of French cities being increasingly less affordable for average people. https://t.co/7UrZIWeZyg
— Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) December 2, 2018
Well, if celebrity Juliette Binoche thought the tax increase was a good idea, we’re sol!
Macron caught between the Paris Climate Accord, a lot of people who can't afford to pay more for diesel, and a very alarmed Juliette Binoche. From @globeandmail: https://t.co/htQkLiqJvc
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 2, 2018
As for coverage here in America, how about a little honesty that these riots are because of, at least in part, the tax to fight climate change? Nothing on CBS Evening News Sunday night:
So @CBSEveningNews went through a whole segment on the Paris riots without mentioning that they are riots against taxes to curb global warming.
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) December 2, 2018
And CNN took the spin to 11 and blamed the fuel price increase to rising oil prices, which are actually falling worldwide:
Here's @CNN with #fakenews about the French riots: "Rising fuel prices are largely attributed to a leap in the wholesale price of oil worldwide." The riots were sparked by a 30-cent gas tax hike imposed to fight climate change. https://t.co/LU4nKd5uPp
— Just Karl (@justkarl) December 2, 2018
English-language media has been working overtime to euphemize the issue, because they don't want to report that the French are rioting against Macron's climate-change agenda.
— Just Karl (@justkarl) December 2, 2018
This will hopefully be a wake-up call for Dems here in America in that “Americans are not going to accept higher prices and lower living standards to fight climate change”:
Americans are not going to accept higher prices and lower living standards to fight climate change. The sooner the enviro left accepts that, the sooner something might actually be done about it. Low gas prices will beat the Paris Accord every day. https://t.co/2uKGVLfasJ
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) December 3, 2018
Editor’s note: We’ve corrected a typo.
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Related:
Hundreds injured, one dead as France protests fuel tax increase to fight climate change https://t.co/AE475FvqPW
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 19, 2018
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