ON Saturday, France was rocked by massive street protests involving more than half-a-million people. The peaceful protest turned violent at nighttime as riots and clashes broke out in the streets and police tried to pacify the crowds. Shops and businesses were looted by individuals dressed in black and wearing masks, while others hurled fireworks and projectiles at police officers. Government buildings, vehicles and other properties were set on fire as firefighters battled the widespread conflagration across Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and other cities.
Protesters were mostly made up of young demonstrators, specifically high school students, who demanded that French President Emmanuel Macron address the rising fuel prices, cost of living, and deteriorating public schools due to overcrowded classrooms and shortage of teachers. Students were joined by trade unions, leftist groups and members of the Yellow Vest movement. In Paris, protesters clashed with riot police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Some individuals took advantage of the chaos to loot stores like Apple, Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Versace.
Heart-wrenching scenes in France — burnt-out vehicles littered the streets, a 143-year-old town hall in Limoges was gutted by fire, burned tires and shattered glass covered the pavements. As the violence ebbed over the night, police arrested 1,800 people, while the property damage was estimated in millions.
France’s nationwide protests harked back to the historic Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, more than 237 years ago. At the time, Bastille symbolized the military and royal authority of the French monarchy. Amid growing disenchantment with the monarchy, the fall of the Bastille became the flashpoint of the French Revolution, which dismantled the traditional feudal order and helped spread liberal and democratic ideals across Europe — liberty, equality and fraternity.
The French Revolution was a watershed in the birth of nationalism, sparking the ideas of collective identity and self-determination among the French, Germans, Italians, Britons and other Europeans. As revolutionary ideas crossed other borders, monarchies in Austria, Prussia and Russia sought to suppress the spread of social and political upheaval, but to no avail. Ultimately, the French Revolution paved the way for the rise for Napoleon Bonaparte, who seized power in a coup in 1799 and established an autocratic empire.
Today, the violent demonstrations in France remind us of the profound impact of the French Revolution on the social, economic and political landscape of Western Europe. Hundreds of thousands of those taking to the streets are young people, driven by fear and anxiety over their future. What began with student protests on crumbling buildings, heat waves, teacher shortages and inadequate classrooms morphed into a wider expression of economic security and social discontent. This protest highlights the current volatility confronting many countries amid surging fuel prices, regional wars, climate change and mounting economic despair. France has a long history of inspiring revolutions that reverberate far beyond its borders.
The troubling question now is: Who comes next?
Indonesia offers another warning sign. On Oct. 16, its stock market suffered a historical sell-off, with stock prices plunging by 11.57 percent, wiping out $60 billion in market value. The scale of such collapse drew comparisons with the 1997 Asian financial crisis when the Indonesian rupiah fell due to political instability and foreign debt. This could be Indonesia’s crisis unless its leaders are able to contend with it soon.
But how about the Philippines?
Well, there are no foreseeable flashpoints that can engulf the country into a French-style mass uprising. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration remains firmly in control of the military, security and other political institutions. However, there are three potential national crises that could ignite widespread street protests on the scale of France.
First, the mismanagement of the surging fuel prices could drive up the costs of basic commodities and deepen public despair. Second, a severe Super El Niño phenomenon could affect water and power supplies, agricultural production and food security. Third, the mobilization of young protesters could gain momentum if the government fails to hold public officials and contractors accountable in the DPWH flood-control corruption cases.
Yet, the Filipinos might now be experiencing protest fatigue, with no unifying cause or charismatic leader capable of mobilizing people into the streets. There appears to be no personality or movement on the horizon whom Filipinos would readily follow to march and storm the gates of the Bastille. But like the Bastille, all you need is a spark to ignite an uprising against those in power who refuse to listen.