Yellow vests - fuel protest day of action in France

Yellow vests - fuel protest day of action in France

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valiant

10,316 posts

161 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
We do but every time there’s a protest all you get is ‘lefty this’ and ‘lefty that’.

Look on here whenever there’s a protest or march and you’ll generally find a thread castigating those who attend. You may not agree with what they’re protesting about but they should be admired for actually getting off their arses and hitting the streets rather than have a moan on social media.

There’s a thread below on a protest happening today in London about the environment. Let’s see how that turns out on here...

limpsfield

5,893 posts

254 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
"French officials say a woman has been killed after a driver accelerated as demonstrators blocked roads during a fuel tax protest"

https://twitter.com/PA/status/1063761926386327552

Helicopter123

8,831 posts

157 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
limpsfield said:
"French officials say a woman has been killed after a driver accelerated as demonstrators blocked roads during a fuel tax protest"

https://twitter.com/PA/status/1063761926386327552
Hmmm... far from good, the situation could change quite quickly from peaceful protest, this is France after all.

Macron not popular at all meantime.

caelite

4,278 posts

113 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
valiant said:
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
We do but every time there’s a protest all you get is ‘lefty this’ and ‘lefty that’.

Look on here whenever there’s a protest or march and you’ll generally find a thread castigating those who attend. You may not agree with what they’re protesting about but they should be admired for actually getting off their arses and hitting the streets rather than have a moan on social media.

There’s a thread below on a protest happening today in London about the environment. Let’s see how that turns out on here...
Personally to me it depends what the protest is about. A single issue process over a specific piece of legislation (or tax) makes sense. As you are protesting to a body who are (supposed to be) accountable to their electorate.

However going to protest something with a wide scope and no clear solution to 'raise awareness', in my mind is stupid and disruptive as their are better means of going about that.

So, protesting fuel duty, or bedroom tax, or poll tax is OK my mind, protesting about climate change, or a foreign politician, or you not being paid enough is disruptive and unproductive.

Ian Geary

4,500 posts

193 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Plus the rent a mob protesters who turn up to everything - the pseudo anarchist types, who like most vocal minorities tend to get way more coverage than they should.

I think also there's the ingrained British psyche to "not make a fuss", and generally do what is expected.

Though I did see some well to do pensioners get quite irate about proposals to close libraries, though it fell short of mass civil disobedience.

Ian Geary

4,500 posts

193 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Et voila!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...


valiant said:
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
We do but every time there’s a protest all you get is ‘lefty this’ and ‘lefty that’.

Look on here whenever there’s a protest or march and you’ll generally find a thread castigating those who attend. You may not agree with what they’re protesting about but they should be admired for actually getting off their arses and hitting the streets rather than have a moan on social media.

There’s a thread below on a protest happening today in London about the environment. Let’s see how that turns out on here...

Helicopter123

8,831 posts

157 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Ian Geary said:
Et voila!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...


valiant said:
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
We do but every time there’s a protest all you get is ‘lefty this’ and ‘lefty that’.

Look on here whenever there’s a protest or march and you’ll generally find a thread castigating those who attend. You may not agree with what they’re protesting about but they should be admired for actually getting off their arses and hitting the streets rather than have a moan on social media.

There’s a thread below on a protest happening today in London about the environment. Let’s see how that turns out on here...
Someone already hinting protesters on Westminster bridge be shot...

Active75

245 posts

165 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all

Minor disruption before the North Angouleme ring road; gilet protestors on the traffic island at Champniers. Drivers slowing to look and toot horns.

Hereward

4,195 posts

231 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Earthdweller said:
Living in a rural area petrol cars are not really an option
Explain this bit to me, please.

WyrleyD

1,919 posts

149 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Because the French government actively encouraged people to buy diesel engined cars from about 1970. There are a lot of not very well off folks in the rural areas that rely on their old diesel cars bought many, many years ago and probably cannot afford to change even if they wanted to, not unless the government is suddenly going to give them massive discounts so that it's practically free to change which just ain't going to happen is it? Some of these rural areas have absolutely no public transport at all so it's use your old banger or don't go anywhere and wait and buy what you can from the mobile shop that may or may not come round once in a while.

Wayne E Edge

545 posts

152 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Just been stopped by them in Mûr-de-Bretagne. They asked me where my yellow vest was. hehe

Earthdweller

Original Poster:

13,607 posts

127 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Hereward said:
Explain this bit to me, please.
I live in an EU country where diesel is 15 to 20c less per litre than petrol

Its 35 miles to the nearest main town for shopping

Major hospitals are 120 miles away ..

It’s a 16 mile round trip to the junior school

I have two diesel cars .. both do a lot of miles ... I can get 55mpg out of the family bus

Why on earth would I swop to a petrol family bus that I’d struggle to get 30mpg out of ?

So .. I can really see why rural French folk have got upset

jakesmith

9,461 posts

172 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
deckster said:
Protesters in France are cleverer than that though, they want the general populace to support them so they make sure that they don't impact normal people too much.

I was very grateful a little while back when some protesters in Lyon held the peage gates open all day in protest at the lowering of speed limits - saved me a good 70 euros in autoroute tolls.
I got caught in this all day today 3 times from Paris to Calais
It was well organised and frustrating but I do see where they are coming from
The end of the Peage at Paris, was a pain, we were stuck about 45 mins with them letting 4-5 cars through every 10 mins.
I was careful not to do anything to draw attention to myself or antagonise them and when we got through the Peage booth was abandoned so actually we did probably save 30 Euros as it was a long run there.
Also despite the hold up the nice people at Eurotunnel let us straight on and we even managed to get the earlier train than what we booked so overall it netted out and I’m happy

But I can also understand the frustration of several drivers trying to force through which apparently did cause a death and some injury. It’s not justified but I can see how it happened with hot headed people and panics etc. Standing in a road or motorway with nothing but a yellow vest for protection from traffic is not without risk

dandarez

13,294 posts

284 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
Ian Geary said:
Et voila!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...


valiant said:
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
We do but every time there’s a protest all you get is ‘lefty this’ and ‘lefty that’.

Look on here whenever there’s a protest or march and you’ll generally find a thread castigating those who attend. You may not agree with what they’re protesting about but they should be admired for actually getting off their arses and hitting the streets rather than have a moan on social media.

There’s a thread below on a protest happening today in London about the environment. Let’s see how that turns out on here...
Yes there was a protest in London earlier today.
The organiser of that protest was a Dr (very obviously not a medical Dr!) one Gail Bradbrook - she has a lot of past form - she said this:

"What's really happening is that [our volunteers] say:
'I've tried everything else, I've been on marches, I've signed petitions, I've donated money, I've been to my MP.'
What's left to do but to break the law?"

So, yeah, I castigate those attend such marches who think it's correct to break the law.

You obviously think I and others are wrong to do so.

If so, what you are in fact advocating, is law breaking, just like she is.

irocfan

40,582 posts

191 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
jakesmith said:
But I can also understand the frustration of several drivers trying to force through which apparently did cause a death and some injury. It’s not justified but I can see how it happened with hot headed people and panics etc. Standing in a road or motorway with nothing but a yellow vest for protection from traffic is not without risk
As I read it it was an elderly lady who panicked when protesters started banging on her roof....

rxe

6,700 posts

104 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
It's not crackers though is it. Even in this country, diesel is dirt cheap when compared to other forms of transport.

I've been handed a 600 mile a week commute for a while. It costs me about £80 a week in diesel, in a fully depreciated car that owes me nothing. Putting £20 a week into the "tyres and servicing" sinking fund, means it costs me £100 a week.

Taking the train would cost me £90 a day + a cab at each end. Of course you can get cheaper trains, but not if you want to be in work around 9 AM.






caelite

4,278 posts

113 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
rxe said:
It's not crackers though is it. Even in this country, diesel is dirt cheap when compared to other forms of transport.

I've been handed a 600 mile a week commute for a while. It costs me about £80 a week in diesel, in a fully depreciated car that owes me nothing. Putting £20 a week into the "tyres and servicing" sinking fund, means it costs me £100 a week.

Taking the train would cost me £90 a day + a cab at each end. Of course you can get cheaper trains, but not if you want to be in work around 9 AM.
I think you are drawing some false equivalency. Diesel isn't dirt cheap here, it is one of the most expensive in the Europe (6th). However our train network is THE most expensive in Europe.

We get absolutely dicked over travel in the UK.

magooagain

10,031 posts

171 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
It's still on going here in France. My local town was chaos this morning with the main roundabout blockaded. Intermarche super market closed its petrol sales due to the yellow vest threat of a full supermarket blockade.

Seems over 200 speed cameras have been destroyed since Saturday.

The protest is not just about fuel prices,it's a general moan about price hikes and allowance cuts also.
Macron seems to be thier hate target.

Frank7

6,619 posts

88 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
Aucune chance de ça!

chris4652009

1,572 posts

85 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
Good for them. I wish the British had the courage to stand up for what they believe in
Brits are too busy crying on forums though