Journalism of Courage
One sports a fire helmet, another a revolutionary bonnet, yet another a costume crown. They come from factories or the French heartland, or from the high schools of Paris. In pic: Cecile, 40, personal care assistant, from the Val d'Oise region, north of Paris. (AP)
These are the faces of France's yellow vest movement, an array of people with grievances so varied that sometimes it's hard to see what they have in common other than the fluorescent vests glowing from their chests. In pic: Marie-Gwen, 62, retired, from Brittany, western France. (AP)
Jean-Michel, 66, retired, from the Yvelines region, painted his blood type — O positive — on his forehead in blood-red paint, to protest what many see as a heavy-handed police response to sometimes violent protest. (AP)
The grassroots yellow vest movement has no anointed leader and an array of demands. However, increasing buying power and ending what they perceive as favoritism toward the powerful at the expense of the less fortunate are leading demands. In pic: Daniel, 62, retired, from the Essonne region, south of Paris (AP)
For Lara, 45, head of a french company, from Asnieres-sur-Seine, that's her vivid red hat evoking Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic and the overthrow of the monarchy. (AP)
Weekend after weekend, thousands have poured into Paris to vent their anger at a government seen as coddling the elite. But each is individual, and many make personal statements through the accessories they wear. In pic: Roger, 67, retired, from the Yvelines region, outside Paris (AP)
Some have a specific grievance, most often the rising cost of fuel. That hits hardest on the working class in the provinces who need their cars to get to school, work, the doctor, the supermarket. Older generations are angry at a new tax on pensions. In pic: Audrey, 37, production line conductor, from Lille, northern France, (AP)
Theo, 27, engineer, from Savoy, french Alps region, wears a a firefighter helmet with a sign reading 'European Union, dictatorship, Macron, fraud'.(AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)
