Yellow Vest protesters near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on December 8 (VCG) 

On November 17, protests erupted in France against the government's plan to increase the fuel tax in 2019 in the name of combating climate change. The protests developed into the Yellow Vest movement, getting its name from the fluorescent roadside security jackets worn by the demonstrators.

The movement has since snowballed, protesting the high living costs blamed on President Emmanuel Macron's fiscal and economic reforms. Clashes with police in Paris led to a few casualties. The movement also spread to neighboring countries including Belgium and the Netherlands.

Responding to the Yellow Vests on December 10, Macron announced an economic and social emergency plan to increase minimum monthly wages, scrap a tax on overtime hours, cut taxes for pensioners and pay end-of-year bonuses to workers.

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar 

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