Support for gilets jaunes protest increasing

More than three-quarters of the French public support the gilets jaunes protests, which have entered a sixth day, while 66% believe it should continue, a survey has found.

A total 77% of respondents said the movement was justified, while 82% believe that President Emmanuel Macron should cancel January's planned tax increases on petrol and diesel.

Support for the protests is rising - some 82% of self-employed and business leaders questioned backed the action, an eight-point increase on a poll published on November 17. Pensioners' support has risen six points to 75%, while approval among low-income households has jumped eight points to 86%.

In addition, 78% of respondents believe that the gilets jaunes protest is in 'the general interest', while 77% find them 'brave' and 62% consider them 'non-violent'.

But 56% of those questioned in the second Odoxa-Dentsu study for franceinfo and Le Figaro had doubts about how effective the protests would prove.

A representative sample of 1,004 French adults took part in the survey on 21 and 22 November.