France's prime minister is offering to meet with members of the "yellow vests" movement, which has caused disruption by blocking roads in protest against fuel tax increases and economic hardship, reports FRANCE 24.
Prime minister Édouard Philippe said that the protesters are expressing "a lot of legitimate things that should be heard.”
But a meeting might prove difficult to organise as many in the grassroots movement, which emerged through social media, have refused to recognise eight "representatives" chosen in a Facebook ballot.
Some protesters are calling for a new action Saturday on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, where a protest last Saturday degenerated into violence.
Meanwhile, protesters shouted at the minister for overseas territories, Annick Girardin, as she sought to calm tensions Wednesday on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, where demonstrations have been particularly violent.
The “yellow vests”, named after the safety jackets that are mandatory in all French vehicles, denounce perceived elitism by President Emmanuel Macron, who failed to defuse the anger with a speech Tuesday explaining the environmental need for the tax hikes.