Paris assesses injuries, damage after worst riot in decade

Coming soon to a highly indebted nation near you.

What these riots show is that the working classes don't want to bear the brunt of costs from the push to "green energy". The rich can well afford fuel taxes, carbon taxes, whatever. The impact falls disproportionately on the rural folks and the working class.

I don't think Europe (and Macron) are at all socialist. They ARE elitist, however. Old school connections and family ties are crucial- social stagnation is rampant. The Eurocrats at the top are reluctant to share power and are determined to tell everyone else how to live.

This isn't just about fuel prices, it's also about the rising costs of living in general, lack of affordable housing and the social cleansing of Paris. I can see similar protests in London within a year, and elsewhere in Europe.

Sooner or later you run out of taxing the rich and wealthy and then taxes for those who actually work for a living, skyrockets.

The rich in France got tax cuts after tax cuts through multiple governments. So what you're saying is flat out nonsense.

They voted for the socialist Macron

First, Macron got 24% of the votes in the first round, and was then elected to counter Le Pen's far right. So most people didn't vote for him.

Second, Macron is not a socialist. He works for the rich, which is the opposite of socialism.

And that's why people are angry. Because people have to pay more and more while getting less, while the rich get even richer.

 they wanted something be done about Climate Change/Global Warming and this is what Macron did..

These taxes should be meant to encourage the use of alternatives (electric cars, trains, etc), right ? But what's the point if people don't have access to these alternatives ? It just becomes an unfair tax disproportionately affecting the poorest.

As for ecology, other than these taxes, Macron comes short on everything : less reusable, more nuclear, more pesticides, more oil, more CO2...

Don't think the situation (social/economical) is 'that' bad in france tbh, i mean compared to other developed nations.

That said, like in most other countries, the french are tired of being shafted by govts & elites and/but unlike others (who are perhaps resigned to their fate & culturally less 'vocal'), they 'need' to express their discontent once in a while, even/especially through violent political protest. Happens pretty much every year.

A very good, in-depth article on the subject https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/11/yellow-vests-france-gilets-jaunes-fuel-macron

It wouldn't be Paris without a revolt once in while...!

The people of France seems to be waking up, but I'm afraid they will ditch Macron just go to the far right in the end.

Or maybe you're just a proven conspiracy theorist....

People don’t just riot for fun.

I don't see how that is really solvable. There are plenty of other wonderful places in France in which to live. Its a beautiful country.

Sadly most of the job market is highly centralized, except retired people not that many people can have the opportunity to live in those "wonderful places"

So the movement has been hijacked by thugs on the radical left and extreme right.

Who was expecting that?

Any French regret not voting for Marine Le Pen yet?

if she gets elected, she will backtrack and tone down a lot. She already has.

Any anti-E.U sentiment would be crushed by the establishment for a start. She is limited in what she can do anyway as France is subject to E.U rules.

She will tinker around the edges with immigration I imagine. That will be about as far right as it gets.

Apparently a litre of fuel costs the equivalent of up to $2.40 AUD in Paris. That is crazy. Its bad enough here.

A lot of low life elements on the right and left among those protesters I fear though causing trouble above and beyond the desire to address fuel prices and the cost of living.

Those rioters are not originals "gilets jaunes", they're just joining hoping to cause as much violence as possible. I start to wonder if those groups are not externally fueled (US, Russia ?) in an effort to help taking down the EU.

lack of affordable housing 

While I think you can mandate affordable housing in new projects and provide money to local authorities to build affordable housing, I doubt its ever going to go anywhere near satisfying demand. Ultimately, do you expect much in the way of affordable housing in the capital of the country? Every capital city, the world over, is expensive relative to the rest of the country.

In Australia, Canberra is second only to Sydney and Melbourne, with a much, much smaller population. Wherever you have the combination of cashed up immigrants, cashed up locals, well paid public servants and most likely HQ operations of major companies, its going to be a very expensive place to live, beyond the reach of most.

I don't see how that is really solvable. There are plenty of other wonderful places in France in which to live. Its a beautiful country.

Sadly most of the job market is highly centralized,

Yeah admittedly that is a problem. Same here in Aus. Need a long term plan for the regions. Maybe pick a few 2nd and third tier cities as well to boost and focus on.

Nobody wants to be caught in the violent protest but Macron is too stubborn and self absorbed so I guess if the French people want to be heard, they have to take desperate measures. I wonder if heads will roll. (No, not literally like the 1600s.)

Historically, when Paris riots, French governments fall. Usually in spectacular fashion.

Go figure, they don't want to pay a carbon tax while all the elites are yucking it up in Poland.

I kind of hope the guardian would have a decent article on this and open for comments so I can see the POV from the Europeans and the French in particular. But there's not a lot of coverage.

The Japanese working class should take a lesson from this, and take to the streets.

They absolutely should not do that. No one wants to be like the French who have violent protests for literally everything they dont like. You guys need to chill out.

Maybe France is waking up to the evil New World Order that Macron is a puppet to.

Maybe... and say maybe... if they work more than 35h per week... they could afford it lol

Any French regret not voting for Marine Le Pen yet?

Look for the hidden hand of Putin and the Russians stirring up the pot - it no doubt is there....

The grassroots protests began Nov. 17 with motorists upset over a fuel tax hike...

So all this is over fuel taxes. Well, they wanted something be done about Climate Change/Global Warming and this is what Macron did....added the carbon tax and other taxes on fuel.

People work and pay a lot of taxes and we are fed up

Some of the same people rioting are the ones that caused the whole problem. They demanded the government do everything for everybody and require companies to give shorter work weeks, more vacation time and better pay. Where do you get the money for all this? Taxes. Sooner or later you run out of taxing the rich and wealthy and then taxes for those who actually work for a living, skyrockets. They voted for the socialist Macron and then revolt when he does what they knew he would do. They have no one else to blame but themselves.

It's clear the people want change, it's time for a new government.

It must be painful to be a socialist.