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Yellow Vests to take to streets of France for 18th consecutive week

Yellow Vest protesters are gearing up for its 18th nationwide protest on Saturday with organisers issuing a call to people on social media to attend to boost numbers.

Media coverage of the Yellow Vests' protests, Paris March 9, 2019
Media coverage of the Yellow Vests' protests, Paris March 9, 2019 AFP / Zakaria Abdelkafi
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The de facto head of the Yellow Vest movement, Eric Drouet, posted a youtube video on Friday saying he hopes Saturday will go down in French history as a unique day of protests, which include one in support of stopping climate change, one by the Algerian diaspora against out-going president Bouteflika and of course, the Gilet Jaunes (Yellow Vests).

“It has to be a big day, it has to be important and that we succeed in getting heard” says Drouet in his video.

He adds that after tomorrow, at least for himself, there will be no more protests, but “real actions to follow, such as proposing blockades”.

He says up until now, these protests have shown that they can hold a demonstration, but there’s no need to keep proving that point.

Decreasing numbers

Since the Yellow Vests took to the streets every Friday since November 17th, numbers have begun dwindling.

In effort to boost numbers, a call on the Yellow Vests facebook page, which coincides with the final day of the French government’s Grand Debate, is urging everyone to attend the ‘Acte 18 – Ultimatium – La France entière à Paris’ or in English, ‘Act 18 – Ulimatium – all of france in Paris’.

The message stresses that since the early days of its protests, no one has listened to their proposals. The only response they have received are violence from authorities and contempt from the elite.

The logistics of Yellow Vests

In an effort to avoid overlapping with the other planned protests of the day, the Yellow Vests’ organisers have posted a plan of action.

Participants are urged to arrive at 10:00 am at one of four assembly points:

  1. Central Paris near Gare Saint-Lazare
  2. North and East Paris near Gare du Nord
  3. South Paris at Place du Châtelet (facing the theatre)
  4. West Paris near Gare Monparnasse

Afterwards protesters will converge in the areas bordering the Presidential palace, the Elysée.

So protesters will be on the Champs-Elysées, from Place Charles de Gaulle to Place Concorde, and along Avenue de Friedland up until Boulevard Malsherbes , which then joins at Place Concorde.

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