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France: More Than 400 People Left Injured Amidst Protests Over Spiralling Fuel Prices
Swarajya Staff
Nov 19, 2018, 03:36 PM | Updated 03:36 PM IST
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Violent demonstrations in France over spiralling fuel prices have left more than 400 people injured, as reported by BBC.
Angry demonstrators from the “yellow vest” movement tried to shut down roads, getting hit or swiped by vehicles in many cases.
Thousands of people have been rallying against higher fuel taxes and President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies. The demonstrations have come amid mounting discontent with Macron, who many view as out of touch with ordinary people.
Macron is yet to comment on the protests and various polls point to a sharp dip in his popularity charts.
The price of diesel, the most commonly used fuel in French cars, has shot up by around 23 per cent over the past 12 months to an average of €1.51 ($1.71) per litre, its highest since the early 2000s. Macron government raised its hydrocarbon tax this year by 7.6 cent per litre on diesel and 3.9 per cent on petrol, as part of a campaign for cleaner cars and fuel.
The current trigger for the protest is a proposal to further increase 6.5 cent on diesel and 2.9 cent on petrol, effective 1 January 2019. The government reportedly said it wouldn’t bow down to the protestors by rolling back gas levies.
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