Fifty years after hundreds of thousands of young people took to the streets of Paris to protest against … well, almost everything, a new generation of French protesters is following in their footsteps to express their opposition to the government’s policies and the direction their country is taking. Back in 1968, not unlike now, it was a general social-political malaise and discontent of those who felt betrayed by society and victimized by their government that led to Les Evénements. The writer and educator Peter Steinfels wrote many years later that the protesters were “anti-communist as much as anti-capitalist. Some appeared anti-industrial, anti-institutional, even anti-rational.” Whatever their motivations, they managed to end the career of one of the most powerful presidents in modern French history, Charles de Gaulle. The current protests, led by those who have quickly became known as the gilets jaunes (yellow vests), might not pose a threat to Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, but they have challenged his authority and direction and forced him to back down from some of his policies. Only time will tell whether his presidency will recover from this episode, which could be the making or the breaking of it. As was the case in 1968, the grievances of the gilets jaunes resonate with the working and lower middle classes in most corners of the world. Similar to the generation of protesters of half a century ago, there is no one coherent ideology that leads or unites them. However, all agree that the establishment has neglected them and subjected them to insults and injustices; and their movement echoes the anti-establishment sentiments of all who feel economically and culturally left behind, or even looked down upon. Brilliantly, those who initiated this uprising — which sprang from a petition posted online in May protesting at rising fuel prices and the general cost of living — used the wearing of hi-vis yellow vests as their badge. This one garment represents much of what is detested by the movement that the petition gave rise to. First, it represents government coercion; during the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy motorists were forced to carry such vests in their vehicles and risked a hefty fine if they did not. Second, the yellow vests now signify defiance; their striking visibility lets the elite know that those who are struggling with the hardships of daily life under the present political, economic and social structures refuse to remain “transparent” any longer, neither will they allow themselves to be marginalized without a fight. Lastly, it is a garment as universal as the message of its wearers; in a matter of days, since the first mass demonstration of Nov. 17 in Paris, yellow-vest protests spread from France to Belgium, and thence to Canada, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and Iraq, all with their country-specific variations, all demanding change. It may be the case that the initial enthusiasm and energy of these demonstrations is beginning to ebb, but the root causes of what impelled them to become so vocal have by no means been resolved. For that, there needs to be a dialogue that accepts from the outset that there are serious, growing inequalities in many societies worldwide, and unless this trend is reversed, social unrest is inevitable. Macron has already been forced to eat humble pie and scrap the hike in fuel tax, improve allowances for most pensioners, raise the minimum wage and agree to tax-free overtime pay for all workers. However, should these extra expenses be offset by cuts elsewhere in the government’s budget, and/or resistance to a wealth tax, the protesters may find that what is given to them with one hand is being taken away with the other, in reduced public services. As was the case in 1968, the grievances of the gilets jaunes resonate with the working and lower middle classes in most corners of the world. Yossi Mekelberg Such an approach by government ignores and exacerbates the very inequalities that have caused the resentment and upheavals we are witnessing on the streets today. While tax increases for the big companies and the über-rich shouldn’t be a matter of ideology or jealousy, they are a crucial tool for reducing inequality and enabling social mobility, both of which are essential for maintaining a vibrant economy and presenting opportunities for the many, not just the few. One of the slogans of the French protesters — inherited from the 1968 upheavals — is “Be realistic: Demand the impossible!” It is an indication of an evolutionary approach, rather than a revolutionary one. This is a protest begun by people who are mostly from the periphery, who live in smaller urban centers and rural areas, who have witnessed wealth becoming more and more concentrated in the big cities at their expense, while such centers of wealth and power impose their social and cultural values on the rest of the population, even if unintentionally. Both phenomena are a cause of moral and political outrage from those who feel disempowered by this development, which to a large extent can be attributed to globalization. But consequently electing populists and opportunists to power has been a matter of applying the wrong remedy, one that can only exacerbate the situation rather than seriously address any of the protesters’ well-founded grievances. What is required is a rethink about how to re-include those who feel abandoned by the powerful elites and alienated as a result. Inclusion should not concentrate only on improving economic conditions, but must also be attentive and sensitive to the values of the periphery, and how to reconcile such values with those which are evolving in the big cities. Globalization and technological advancement are creating new opportunities for well-paid jobs away from big population centers, through adjustments to the education system and investment in infrastructure — high-speed internet connectivity in particular. Furthermore, there must be more appreciation for workers who are not in white-collar jobs and have been looked down upon for too long. It is not surprising that such people are determined to reclaim their self-esteem by demonstrating on the street and risking state and police harsh measures . The yellow vest protests, which in France enjoy the support of 70 percent of the population and which have spread to so many other countries, are a powerful warning to us that social and economic inequality is a time bomb; it can lead only to an explosion of civil unrest. Superficial counter-measures can work only in the short term, if at all; bold policies to close economic, social and cultural gaps are the genuine, long-term solutions. Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations at Regent’s University London, where he is head of the International Relations and Social Sciences Program. He is also an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. He is a regular contributor to the international written and electronic media. Twitter: @YMekelberg Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view