We will go further, warn Gilets Jaunes
Open letter to President Macron warns of further action
The Gilets Jaunes have demanded that President Emmanuel Macron 'change his attitude' in an open letter, and warned that their protests will continue.
The full text of the four-page letter, published on La France en colère Facebook page on Thursday, January 3, will be read out on Saturday in front of the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, at another protest organised by the grassroots movement.
Organisers have called the latest protest 'Acte 8', and have called for a demonstration in front of the capital's Hôtel de Ville, and a march to the National Assembly building. More rallies have been planned across the country.
The Gilets Jaunes movement started late last year as a protest against rising fuel prices and planned fuel duty increases, but its aims have quickly morphed to take in a range of social issues and political grievances.
In the letter, protesters addressed President Macron's New Year's Eve address to the nation - in which he accused some leading members of the group of using "the pretext of speaking on behalf of the people", but who are "only the spokespersons of a hateful crowd".
"Anger will turn into hatred if you continue, from your pedestal, to consider the little people as beggars, toothless, people who are nothing," the letter warns.
It adds that the Gilets Jaunes are wary of Mr Macron's national consultation plan, which they claim is little more than a 'political trap', and again calls for 'the introduction of a significant reduction in all taxes on basic necessities', as well as 'a significant reduction in all current and future pensions, wages, privileges and pensions of elected officials and senior civil servants'.
The Gilets Jaunes finally demand the President find 'a respectable personality who has not been targeted by judicial investigations' who would be able to 'start discussions ... around the restoration of the sovereignty of the people of France'.
It ends: "Despite your efforts, we are not resigned, we are joining forces, we can do better and we will do better. And, yes, we will go further."
