Anonymous TikTok call sparks 550,000 Gilets Jeunes protests in France
World
An anonymous TikTok video called for protests on October 17, and France saw an estimated 550,000 demonstrators.
Called the Gilets Jeunes or Young Vests movement, these protests echo the famous Yellow Vests rallies from 2018.
This time, young people rallied against rising fuel prices and declining public services, all kicked off by an anonymous call to action online.
Social media fuels protests, violence follows
Social media made this movement explode: nearly 460,000 messages about the protest spread after that TikTok video dropped, with old Yellow Vest groups even reuniting on Facebook.
But things got tense. Some protests turned violent, like in Limoges where a historic town hall was set on fire, and clashes broke out.