Anyone else a gilet jaune?

I see you’ve altered your position since this comment Peter

Dec '18

I am French, like your good lady so I do feel slightly qualified to express an opinion. You can either dismiss it or agree with it, quite frankly, I don’t give a monkeys.
Whatever, i’m sure you are happy to be paying less for your carburant tho’ im sure the increase in the SMIC is something you’ve never had to live with ?
The French, whether they are typical or not in your region will continue to protest as they choose cos’ Macron knows he can’t do much to stop them. He has been made to look pretty stupid and the concessions to the police were a desperate attempt to save the nation from further in-fighting.
I hope the GJs stop their protests and instead try some dialogue but a lot of people out there are pretty fed up with the way their spending power has been cut over the past decades, Macron pushed them a bit to far.
I’m sure, by your tone that the financial plight of many French are light years away from your personal situation so i’m not surprised by your attitude.

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I’ve been waiting for you.

Nothing has changed for me. The GJs achieved victories for us, all of us whether you like it or not. Macron made concessions and that should be recognised. John, like many of us are frustrated with the way the country is going but I suppose that’s quite meaningless to the more prosperous members of the community. Many have no idea just how many ‘ordinary’ people are struggling to pay bills.
Saying that, Macron has listened and acted so that merits a time of reflection without the intervention of the GJs or anyone else. I still sympathise with the movement but violence is not what is needed now.

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as you said which for me is very important No violence, but the manifestations should continue as to keep the pressure on Macron.For far too long each president that is elected says that he is going to change France for the better, but all that is BLA BLA the people are fed up of the Bla Bla they want actions not words and promises they are fed up with paying the bill the presidents leave behind

No I will be manifesting near me like every Saturday so that you can have an easy life so in fact you should thank me for thinking about your welfare

Maybe John but the problems we have now are not all the fault of Macron, far from it. Go back to at least Sarko and especially Hollande to trace the causes of the problems. Hollande maited our years before making unemployment an important issue for example. Macron inherited much od the things we are fighting against. He isn’t perfect and I voted for him only to keep Marine out like most voters but he has at least admitted making mistakes and has made concessions, why can’t the GJs accept that ? Give the guy a break, wait and see if he makes more changes and react accordingly.
What’s happening now is having a negative effect on public opinion, which leads me to think that what’s happening on our streets is actually driven by some over zealous individuals looking for some personal glory. What we are now seeing isn’t the spirit of the genuine GJs, they are still ‘manning’ the roundabouts in a peaceful manner not looking t cause trouble.

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you forget Macron was part of Hollandes party and before Macron came into power ha said he understood what the people wanted change and he was going to do it, but now he says he has made mistakes but when a President makes mistakes a lot of people suffer.I do agree that he has inherited the problems of the last 4 presidents, but he should not make promises that he cannot keep

so what do you want and when do you want it?

Theres only so long the people will put up with a boil on their arse before asking for it to be lanced.

Might the upcoming EU elections be part of the script?

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With respect John, if you read my posts I am a GJ but I disagree with the way the movement, which I believe has been hijacked in many areas is being driven.

Actually Macron wasn’t in the ‘party’ when in Hollande’s government. He ceased membership of the PS well before.

He is a ‘President of the rich’ , well that’s the impression he seems to give by his policies but has made an effort to address some of the gripes and that for me should be recognised.

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Well he is now ‘listening’ to the people, he is trying to do something and is making concessions. You can’t have it all at once. You cannot make an omlette without breaking eggs!
You talk about the ‘bill the presidents leave behind’ so even you agree that there is a lot that has been inherited.
We want it all and we want it now isn’t going to work, preventing people going about their daily lives isn’t going to work, doing harm to France by making tourists scared to come here isn’t going to work either.
Frankly when you make statements like “No I will be manifesting near me like every Saturday so that you can have an easy life so in fact you should thank me for thinking about your welfare” it does you and the concept of the GJ’s a diservice!
Give me an instance of an easier life that you have given to me and others here and all those people who have suffered with the prolonged actions of the GJ’s !
Like Peter I did believe that there were things that needed rectifying, I was on the first protest but quickly became horrified by the acts of violence that occured, that were unjustified.
Don’t bother manning the barriers for me and all those others who believe in peaceful demonstrations, I don’t need you there, you don’t speak for me ar many others like me !

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If anything the GJ’s are currently making life harder as the majority are having to adjust their weekend routine to avoid their demonstrations.

@anon43931645, I hate to disappoint you but the GJ’s are losing public support because of the violence and they will not get what they want.

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We will see who is right in a few months time

The violence you see is from the media or by first hand experience?

John, that plate in front of your head, I’m impressed with it’s thickness…

Yes…I think so.

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Not from first hand experience, thankfully.
However there are many SF posters who have seen for themselves what has happened, who have felt menaced.
I have seen, yes from media reports, paving slabs, metal barriers and steel balls being thrown at the police. Just look at the streets, at the damage done to monuments, cars burned out and tell me that’s normal !

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“The violence you see is from the media or by first hand experience?”

Before Christmas the GJs here decided to block supermarkets, petrol pumps, and to block people on supermarket carparks.

The ones I have actually spoken to, up close, on the carpark where they thought it would be a good idea to block me in, were a nasty bunch of threatening, chippy, misogynist thugs and they don’t seem to have got any nicer.

Any sympathy I had for the mass of GJs has gone although I feel a bit sorry for those who as I said before have been and continue to be instrumentalised by the nastiest elements from both extremes of the political spectrum.

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Oh FFS not interested in the crappy site you refer to ! I know I’ve asked before but - who paid for the site - surely you must know or you wouldn’t be supporting it?! And before you ask - I haven’t been on the 2€ / litre wine tonight - I went for the Montagny 1er Cru!

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Huh??? He’s following through (or was trying to!) on the promises he made in his election manifesto which gave him a massive majority. The reality of delivering the promises is a tad unpopular! Short memories…

Not In My Name !

“We will see who is right in a few months time” , really that’s so childish!!!

Let your elected President get on with trying to change things. I get the impression that you see yourself as some sort of hero manning the barriers for the good of us all, whether we want it or not.

As you don’t seem able to answer genuine questions put to you I can see no wortwhile point in trying to have a reasonable discussion with you.

Man your barriers, put the pressure on and congratulate yourself on having disrupted the lives of so many hardworking people !

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