Fifty years after the 1968 protests, France has witnessed another fateful wave of demonstrations as the so-called Yellow Vests took to the streets to protest a planned fuel tax increase.

The Yellow Vest protesters are demonstrating for the seventh week in a row in Paris, on 29 December.

The wave of the so-called "yellow vest protests" — named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers — started in mid-November.

While the French government has scrapped its planned hike in fuel taxes, which is what initially sparked the protests, the "yellow vests" have evolved into a broader movement against government policies and rising living costs. The rallies have been marked by violent clashes between protesters and the police despite the statements by French President Emmanuel Macron calling for order and accord in the country.

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The tense period of civil unrest in France during May 1968 was marked by demonstrations and general strikes as well as the occupation of universities and factories all over France.

It started with student strikes protesting against educational reforms and grew into mass demonstrations of workers demanding a 40-hour work week, with retirement at 60, and a minimum salary of 1,000 francs.

At their height, the protests nearly brought the French economy to a halt.