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“The massive opposition to ever higher carbon taxes is what happens when ordinary people are pushed into energy poverty by political elites,” Alberta United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney tweeted Sunday, quickly following up to say he doesn’t condone the violence.

But are there really similarities between the situations in France and Canada? The answer, it seems, is sort of — but only sort of.

Are the French protesting a carbon tax?

Yes and no.

The “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) protests began as demonstrations against a planned increase in the tax on vehicle fuel, a measure designed to help France meet its commitment to cut carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030. Macron had already increased the fuel tax this year by 11 cents per litre for diesel and six cents for gasoline, and was planning a further increase of 10 cents per litre for diesel and four cents for gasoline in January.

Drivers say they’re being taxed to the limit, and low- and middle-income families in rural areas are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden. So, starting in November, they took to the streets wearing the fluorescent yellow vests that all drivers must carry in their cars.

But resentment over the fuel tax is just one symptom of something much larger. The protests today are amorphous, attracting people from both sides of the political spectrum. The demonstrators are angry about rising taxes and falling purchasing power more broadly, about Macron’s tax cuts for the wealthy, and about a feeling that the government is out of touch with everyday people.