PARIS — The size of the Saturday yellow vest demonstrations throughout France grew larger Jan. 12 over the previous couple of weeks. This is the ninth weekend of protests here since the movement of workers, petty proprietors, shopkeepers and others in smaller cities and towns and rural areas across France exploded Nov. 17.
According to police, there were 84,000 demonstrators in the streets across the country. This was despite the violence-baiting attacks against protesters by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
The protests arose from growing anger at the actions of the Macron government that have made life increasingly difficult for working people. The yellow vests call Macron the “president of the rich.” His public support has fallen, while support for the protesters remains high.
In Paris, protesters organized volunteer marshals to protect the protests from the cops and to avoid provocations by those seeking to incite violence.
“Macron has to stop ignoring us and realize how bad things are,” construction worker William Lebrethon, 59, told Radio France Internationale during the march in Bourges. Signs included, “Macron resign!” and “France is angry!”