The French government and the police are saying the Yellow Vest movement is all but finished.
Police violence has had the effect of reducing numbers. But the fall in turnout is not nearly as great as the authorities pretend. They said just over 10,000 took part across the whole of France last Saturday—the 14th consecutive week of protests.
Yet more than that protested in just five demonstrations. There were around 5,000 in Paris.
At least 2,000 gathered in Pontivy in the Brittany region. A similar number took part in Nantes. At least 2,500 were on the streets in Bordeaux.
Thousands were on the street in Toulouse, carrying placards such as “Fâche mais pas facho” (Angry but not fascist) and “capitalist dinosaurs, tremble, the world will change”. The uncompromising banner at the head of the march said, “Only death will stop us.”