Sveriges ambassadör: ”Jag försökte jaga bort dem”

The yellow vests movement or yellow jackets movement (French: Mouvement des gilets jaunes, pronounced [ʒilɛ ʒon]) is a populist, grassroots political movement for economic justice that began in France in 2018. An online petition posted in May reached 300,000 signatures by mid-October and was followed by regular mass demonstrations beginning on 17 November. The movement is motivated by rising fuel prices, high cost of living and claims that a disproportionate burden of the government's tax reforms were falling on the working and middle classes, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. The protesters have called for lower fuel taxes, reintroduction of the solidarity tax on wealth, a minimum wage increase, and Emmanuel Macron's resignation as President of France. The movement spans the political spectrum. According to one poll, few of those protesting had voted for Macron in the 2017 French presidential election, and many had either not voted, or had voted for far-right or far-left candidates.The protests have mainly involved marches and the blocking of roads and fuel depots. Some of the protests developed into major riots, described as the most violent since those of May 1968. Yellow vests were chosen as a symbol because, since 2008, a law had required all French motorists to have high-visibility vests in their vehicles when driving. As a result, reflective vests had become widely available, inexpensive, and recognisable.Protesters with similar grievances used the yellow vest symbol in many places around the world.