The yellow vest protests began over a month ago due to eco-taxes and increased petrol and diesel prices. However, although gas tariffs have now decreased by 2.4 percent and pump prices have since fallen dramatically with the world oil price, the protests have shape-shifted into a wider cry of anguish against the high cost of living, unemployment and poor local services in small provincial towns and outer suburbs of the thriving French metropolitan areas. Students have also joined in to protest recent changes relating to education. But where does the symbol of the yellow vest come from and why is it so important to their cause?

On the 28th of October 2013, several hundred people wearing red caps attacked an ecotax tollbooth in Pont-de-Buis in the French region of Brittany. Violent clashes erupted between the demonstrators and police. A protestor was heard shouting “This is not a demonstration, it’s the start of a revolution!” One CRS policeman and three protestors were…

Continue reading ➞ The Bonnets Rouges: Symbology and Protest in Brittany

Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has endured the struggle to create a cohesive, unified nation. Due to its colonial past, it has strong Russian influences in the east, Polish influences in the west and Austro-Hungarian influences in the south. Kuzio (2001) states that a unified identity is crucial to the successful establishment of a nation.…

Continue reading ➞ Commemoration and the Ukrainian Nation

Poland's demonstrations against the Communist regime in the 1960s and 1970s were driven by language. The words of Lech Wałęsa’s speeches rung out through the shipyard of Gdańsk, inspiring the people to speak out against the Soviet-controlled Government. As economic conditions deteriorated across the People’s Republic of Poland, riots broke out in the tri-city region…

Continue reading ➞ Janek Wiśniewski Padł: Affect and Social Movement