Yellow Vests (gilets jaunes)

Mouvement des Gilets jaunes · also Yellow Vests, Gilets jaunes, GJ

A leaderless protest movement that began in France in November 2018 after online calls against fuel tax rises; named after the high-visibility vests protesters wore.

The Yellow Vest movement takes its name from the high-visibility yellow vests worn by protesters. The movement had no fixed organization; it began as calls circulating on social media against rising fuel prices driven by increases in the domestic fuel consumption tax (TICPE).

The October 2026 mobilization likewise grew out of online calls and likewise focused on fuel and consumer prices, so French media and internet users often compare the two: the volume of posts on X on October 17 was three times that of the Yellow Vests' first day, and some called for "taking up the torch of the Yellow Vests."

Last updated 2026-10-22 · Suggest a correction