Yellow Vests rally in Paris to protest inflation, living conditions
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The Yellow Vests primarily mobilized in the Paris area from Breteuil Square in the 7th arrondissement in the direction of Bercy Boulevard in the 12th arrondissement.
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Demonstrators gather near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during a protest. (AFP)
France's protest movement, the Yellow Vests (Gilet Jaunes), mobilized on Saturday, to protest rising inflation and the government's plans to push forward pension reform, RIA Novosti reported.
The movement also protested against the government’s repeated usage of “Article 49.3” which, in their opinion, cut short democratic, legislative debate in order to adopt the budget for 2023.
The Yellow Vests primarily mobilized in the Paris area from Breteuil Square in the 7th arrondissement in the direction of Bercy Boulevard in the 12th arrondissement.
It is worth noting that the protesters were tightly controlled by police officers keeping watch and containing them from all sides.
HAPPENING NOW: Scenes from Paris France. Activists affiliated to the Yellow Vest movement protesting in Paris and Alsace, France. Increased security, localized disruptions
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WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/wiwOyLGtHo#paris #france
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One of the protesters said as quoted by RIA Novosti that “the poor in France are in distress: they cannot afford treatment, quality food and pay electricity bills."
Earlier, a poll indicated that 52% of those polled want to see France face a "social explosion" in the coming months, with the formation of a "Yellow Vests-type movement."
In a similar context, Philippe Martinez, head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), France's leading trade union, has lately warned that France will see a wave of mass strikes in early 2023 if the government does not roll back its pension reform.
Earlier in September, around 250,000 protesters took to the streets to announce their opposition to raising the age of retirement and demanding an increase in the minimum wage.
At the time, France's largest trade unions such as CGT, Solidaires, and FSU made a press release announcing their rejection of the reform aim at raising the retirement age.
The unions also announced that they will hit the streets this month if the government does not give in to their request.
