A group of Moroccans refreshed the heavy atmosphere amid the escalating yellow vest riots at the heart of Paris, singing “Dakka Marrakchia.”
Rabat – In a video a group of Moroccan men, dressed in djellaba, a Moroccan traditional robe, played Dakka Marrakchia, a lively traditional Moroccan genre of music from Marrakech, as they drove their car on the streets in France.
The video has been circulating on social media since last Saturday.
The men chanted “Macron resignation,” and “Go, go yellow vests,” as they passed by yellow vest protesters who danced and cheered along to the Moroccan music.
The yellow vest protests against fuel taxes have transformed into anti-Macron demonstrations that have reached an unprecedented scale of violence.
Throughout the protests, protesters have looted shops, smashed cars, and defaced the Arc de Triomphe with graffiti insulting President Emmanuel Macron.
On Saturday, French police used tear gas for the first time to disperse protesters in an attempt to stop the violence. Yet, about 126 people still suffered injuries that day due to the protests.
Nearly 90,000 members of law enforcement were on duty across the country on the same day to respond to clashes, 8,000 of which were deployed in Paris.
One protester stood out as she had a different approach to ending the violent demonstrations. Bursting into tears, the woman fell onto her knees and called for the clashes to end.
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“You should be with us for the people, for France, for our homeland, for our nation!” she shouted.
The movement started in Paris on November 17 to protest an unpopular tax on fuel proposed in France’s national budget.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that Macron was going to propose “measures” to end protests.
According to a recent opinion poll, Macron’s perceived pro-rich policies have made him unpopular with the French people. Even former pro-Macron voters have expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming that the president has betrayed the values and policies he appeared to espouse during his presidential campaign.