Who are France's Red Scarves and what do they want?

A group called the Red Scarves are holding demonstrations across Paris to counter the Yellow Vests protests.

Opponents to the Yellow Vests violent behaviour, take part in a demonstration by the "Red Scarves" movement in Paris, France, January 27, 2019.
Reuters

Opponents to the Yellow Vests violent behaviour, take part in a demonstration by the "Red Scarves" movement in Paris, France, January 27, 2019.

Hundreds of people wearing red scarves marched through Paris on Sunday. 

The group — called itself the Red Scarves — gathered in Nation Square and marched to Bastille Square, chanting “enough” and “end the violence”.

More than 10,000 people, most of them wearing red scarves, attended the march, according to Paris police.

Months of anti-government demonstrations have already been taking place across France, but now a new version of protests are staged in the capital Paris. 

So who are the Red Scarves?

Violence by the Yellow Vest protesters and the sometimes-aggressive police response have prompted a national debate since the anti-government movement kicked off two months ago.

But a damage to the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris in December was a turning point for many of the counter-protesters at Sunday’s march.

John Christophe Warner from the southern French region of Vaucluse set up a Facebook group and started the movement because “French citizens are being penalised every day by the Yellow Vests’ methods”. 

Despite the group consists of people from different economic status, the Red Scarves protesters were noticeably older than many of the Yellow Vests. 

And many of the Red Scarves support the French President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms, saying they are good for all French people. 

What do they want?

They want the Yellow Vests to end months of protests that started against Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the country’s deteriorating economic situation, but turned violent as 10 people got killed in the ensuing clashes and police shooting. Around 6,000 have been detained and over 2,000 others have been injured in the protests.

“We decided to organise this march at the Place de la Nation today so that people can express how people exasperated for the past two months,” said the Red Scarves Spokesman Philippe Lhoste during the Sunday’s protest. 

The “red scarves” demonstration came amid growing divisions around the yellow vest phenomenon, which has led to rioting in Paris and other cities, exposed deep discontent with Macron and prompted national soul-searching.

AFP

A woman holds a placard reading "We are the people as well" as French Red Scarves, critics of violent Yellow Vest protests demonstrate in Paris on January 27, 2019.

“They [The Yellow Vests] need to respect those of us who want to work, but prevented from commuting and are subjected to threats and violence,” said Lhoste. 

The Yellow Vest protests have continued despite the government’s call for them to halt.

Since Nov. 17, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests have gathered in major French cities, including Paris.

Demonstrators held protests blocking roads as well as the entrances and exits to gas stations and factories across the country.

Reuters Archive

A police officer walks by a fire at the scene of a demonstration by the Yellow Vests movement in Angers, France, January 19, 2019.

Under pressure, Macron announced a rise in the minimum wage and scuttled the tax hikes.

Since then, however, the protests have grown into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making.

Some 69,000 people nationwide took part Saturday in the 11th week of yellow vest protests, down from more than 80,000 during the previous two weekends, according to the French Interior Ministry. The protests in Paris were scattered, with different groups staging events at different sites.

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