Woman dies in French protest against new fuel tax

One protester died in France and 409 people were injured this weekend after more than 2,000 demonstrations broke out across the country due to rising fuel prices.

On Saturday some 287,000 protesters blocked roads and stopped traffic, according to the interior ministry. The government’s decision to increase fuel taxes even further sparked the nationwide protests, reports the BBC.

During Saturday’s protests, one woman was killed in the east of France after she was hit by a car when a driver, surrounded by protesters, panicked and hit the accelerator. More than 280 people were arrested throughout the day.

The “yellow vest” movement resumed their protest on Sunday with about 150 blockades. The movement began with an online petition against the government’s decision to increase fuel tax to encourage drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles.

The price of diesel, the most popular fuel in France, has risen by around 23% in the last year to an average of €1.51 ($1.71) per litre, according to AFP news agency.

After increasing its hydrocarbon tax this year by 7.6 cents per litre on diesel and 3.9 cents on petrol, Emmanuel Macron’s government announced a further increase of 6.5 cents on diesel and 2.9 cents on petrol on 1 January 2019, provoking anger amongst French drivers.