On November 17, 2018, French men and women gathered for the first time on the capital’s iconic Champs-Élysées and on hundreds of roundabouts throughout France to protest against the high cost of living. They were easily recognisable by their yellow high-visibility vests. The months-long demonstrations against the government of President Emmanuel Macron turned violent and were met with a fierce crackdown by security forces. Almost four years later, those who participated in the movement tell FRANCE 24’s reporters how the struggle has changed their lives.

Brexit extension, France's Yellow Vest woes and New Zealand's gun control rush

Across France, 80,000 police officers are being mobilized for the ninth weekend of nationwide street protests. President Emmanuel Macron's plans for a three-month public debate have done little to assuage anger.

France has said it plans to ban participation in unauthorized demonstrations in an effort to counter the ongoing yellow vest movement. The government is scrambling to put an end to the increasingly violent protests.

Toll booths on the A9 motorway in the Pyrenees were blocked for several hours by demonstrators. Fewer than a thousand people turned out across Paris against rising living costs and the government's pro-business stance.

People have taken to the streets to protest against a labor law in Hungary, against high tuition in Albania and against state violence in Serbia. Germany, meanwhile, has seen its first "yellow vest" style demonstration.

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