A leader within the ‘Yellow Vest’ movement was confident protests would continue and grow, despite record low turnouts in Paris on Saturday.
“We’re not going to lie, we observe less people in the demonstrations,” Rodrigues admitted in an interview with RT.
He maintained that France was on the cusp of a “new wave” of demonstrations. “This awakening of consciousness will persist, and I think that people will continue joining us and we will always be more and more massive,” he argued.
“The mobilisation persists. Whatever happens, we created a protest movement in France, that inscribes itself a little bit in history.”
His comments come after figures published by the French Interior Ministry said turnout for Saturday’s protest was the lowest for six months, with only 1,500 protesters marching in Paris and 10,000 nationwide.
The grassroots movement could call on 300,000 people at its peak in late 2018.
Rodrigues is widely considered to be a figurehead within the movement. His profile was further raised when he was injured in his right eye by a projectile allegedly thrown by police.