Beyond the Political Divide? The 'Gilets jaunes', Citizenship and Popular Sovereignty in France

The Gilets Jaunes allow us to better understand the effects of participant diversity in popular protests and
the politicising value of experiences of inequality. This project addresses the widespread feeling of being
'forgotten' in a political era dominated by populism. Whilst the EU referendum and the election of Trump
receive a lot of attention in the Anglo-Saxon context, less is known about the protests of the 'forgotten'
in France.
The movement started in November 2018 as a reaction to an increase in fuel duty proposed by the
French government and has since involved street protests and the blockage of roundabouts every
Saturday by individuals dressed in high-visibility jackets. It is of interest as it transcends societal
cleavages by operating beyond the divides of gender and class. This project analyses the effect of the
disintegration of traditional mobilising categories of protest and the politicising effect neoliberal policy
has on individuals. The study asks whether such diversity strengthens the movement in ensuring many
differing voices are heard or conversely compromises its impetus through a cacophony of myriad claims.
Moreover, it seeks to establish the relevance of the rural/urban divide in relation to individuals' perceived
hardship.
The movement mobilises through social media and has no central figurehead. Such reliance on social
networks for mobilisation represents a new phenomenon to be analysed and allows the comparison of
different demographics' use of differing sites. Whilst Facebook has been widely used by the Gilets Jaunes
and partly studied, Twitter's impact has yet to be researched.