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Yellow Vest movement resurfaces as cost-of-living anger grips France
Published : Saturday, 17 October, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
France’s Yellow Vest movement has returned to the streets alongside students, workers and labour unions, as mounting anger over living costs, fuel prices and deteriorating public services fuels nationwide protests against social inequality.
Hundreds of demonstrations were planned across the country on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people expected to participate. In Paris, protesters wearing high-visibility vests gathered amid a heavy police presence, while demonstrators in Marseille set fire to rubbish bins.
The latest unrest began last month with student protests in the northern suburbs of Paris over teacher shortages and poor school facilities. The demonstrations subsequently expanded into a broader campaign demanding better public services, increased spending and action against inequality.
The resurgence echoes the Yellow Vest movement that emerged in 2018 over fuel tax increases before developing into a nationwide backlash against the rising cost of living and income disparities. Although the movement later lost momentum after President Emmanuel Macron agreed to billions of euros in tax cuts, fresh calls on social media have encouraged former participants to return to the streets.
The protests pose another challenge for Macron as he enters the final stretch of his presidency, with France facing political fragmentation and mounting concerns over public debt. French borrowing costs have climbed to their highest levels in more than two decades, Reuters reported.
The government has expressed concern about possible violence during the demonstrations. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Thursday that authorities feared unrest, while the government accused the hard-left France Unbowed party of inflaming tensions. The party denied the accusation.
Police have also faced scrutiny over their handling of earlier student demonstrations, during which several protesters sustained serious injuries. The internal police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen alleged cases of police violence.
France suspended the use of stun grenades during the student demonstrations, but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they could be deployed during Saturday’s protests if clashes occurred.
Demonstrators say rising living costs, expensive fuel and inadequate public services remain central to their grievances. A 19-year-old protester identified as Lola told Reuters that students were also demanding more teachers and decent learning conditions.
- MaT
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
