Report: France's Yellow Vests Turned into Red, Blue in Middle East

Nawal Sayed

By: Nawal Sayed

CAIRO, Dec. 23 (SEE) - Ten people were killed and dozens injured in the last six weeks across France, after the so-called "Yellow Vests" Movement's demonstrations took to streets so as to protest against rising fuel prices and high cost of living.

Inspired by the French Gilets

Jaunes (Yellow Vests), many protests took place across the European continent

such as Belgium, Spain and Italy.

Protesters wearing yellow vests attend a demonstration of the "yellow vests" movement in Nantes, France, December 22, 2018. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

In this report, SEE sheds light on the copycat of the Yellow Vests' protests in the Middle East.

Lebanon

Lebanese activists called for

protests like Yellow Vests of France to take to streets and protest against

high prices and economic situation in Lebanon on Sunday, according to Asharq

Awsat newspaper.

Hezbollah denied taking part in the

protests and issued a statement stating that “there is no time for protests,

but we have to focus on forming the government.”

The protesters marched to the

government building in central Beirut, carrying placards that called for an end

to the deadlock and corruption. The call for the protests began on social

media, with some using the symbol of a yellow vest with a cedar tree, a

national symbol that appears on the country's flag.

The army appealed for calm in a

statement, urging protesters to remain peaceful.

Demonstrators chanted: "The

people want to bring down the regime," a slogan from the 2011 Arab Spring

uprisings.

The protesters, who said they

didn't represent any particular political party, demanded improved health care,

jobs and an end to corruption.

"We want a government,"

shouted one protester to a TV reporter.

"I am here to fight against the corruption of the state. We are here to bring back our social services. We need our rights. We need to live as human beings. We need our government to respect us," said Michel al-Hajj, another protester.

Tunisia

A call for protest went out on

Facebook, inspired by the French Yellow Vests Movement but with a subtle

difference: They called themselves les Gilets Rouges (Red Vests).

On Dec. 14, the group held a press

conference to address questions and take their place in Tunisia’s social

sphere. They laid out 22 socio-economic demands to address problems faced

across the country. The group is also in the process of setting up 53 local

coordination offices and nine regional ones.

Les Gilets Rouges is intended to

represent poor and marginalized Tunisians, according to campaign founder Riyad

Jrad. Its economic and social demands include an increase in the country’s

minimum wage, urgent reforms in the education, infrastructure, health and

transport sectors, improved living standards and more job opportunities.

The group is coordinating protests

across Tunisia. The first one was on Dec. 17, the same date that Mohammed

Bouazizi self-immolated in Sidi Bouzid in 2010, prompting a wave of protests

across the region — in Kasserine.

One of the founders of les Gilets

Rouges was arrested and in an even more bizarre twist, the police seized a

cache of 50,000 yellow and red vests at a warehouse in the city of Sfax.

On the other hand, another movement

was formed called “Blue Vests” to oppose the Red Vests’ demands. The founders

of the Blue Vests denied being related to Islamist Ennahda Party, whose slogan

is drawn in blue.

Turkey

Thousands of protesters have taken

to the streets in Istanbul to demonstrate against the rising cost of living and

crippling inflation in Turkey.

Surrounded by a heavy police

presence, the protesters held banners with references to the "yellow

vest" movement in France, which began as a demonstration against fuel

price hikes but snowballed into anti-government protests.

The protest, organized by the KESK, a confederation of public service workers unions, drew people from all over Turkey including the northwestern provinces of Edirne, Bursa and Yalova. They shouted "work, bread, freedom" and also carried banners saying "the crisis is theirs, the street is ours" and "June". June refers to the mass 2013 demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule sparked by the planned redevelopment of Gezi Park in Istanbul.

Israel

Hundreds of Israelis took part in

“yellow vest” demonstrations in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest the cost of

living in Israel and alleged government corruption.

In Israel, protests have centered

on a recent wave of announced price hikes in electricity, water, gas and cell-phone

bills, as well as food products, insurance and property taxes.

Israelis wear yellow vests as they demonstrate against the high cost of living in the centre of Tel Aviv, Israel December 22, 2018 REUTERS/Corinna Kern

“For too many years we’ve gotten

the short end of the stick and were silent. From day to day it is hard to

impossible to live. The middle class is eroding,” protest organizer David

Mizrahi was quoted saying by Hebrew media.

In addition to the economic-focus

of the protest, the demonstrators also held signs calling on Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and branding him “crime minister” in reference to

a series of corruption cases in which prosecutors reportedly believe he

should be charged.

Israelis wear yellow vests as they demonstrate against the high cost of living in the centre of Tel Aviv, Israel December 22, 2018. The placard reads "When the government is against the people, the people are against the government" REUTERS/ Corinna Kern