Paris police fire tear gas at ‘Yellow Jacket’ protesters

After staging roadblocks on highways across France for days, hundreds of demonstrators converged on the Champs Elysees carrying signs that read “Macron, thief,” and “Macron, resign.”

Wearing the fluorescent yellow vests donned by stranded motorists in France, the protestors are upset about new taxes on diesel and ordinary gasoline, designed to encourage people to favor more environmentally friendly transport. Along with these taxes, the government has offered financial incentives to buy more fuel efficient or electric vehicles.

Since coming to office in May 2017, Macron has repeatedly faced criticism about being out of touch with the common women and men of France.

He has been dubbed the

“president of the rich”

for cutting a wealth tax and his approval rating is at a dismal 20 percent.

Accused of being out of touch with voters, the French president’s poll ratings continue to slide ahead of EU elections in 2019. Can he boost his image before he loses the argument over Europe?

“People voted for Emmanuel Macron and for the new party because they didn’t want political figures who were governing based on polls,” an MP from Macron’s En Marche party has told Conflict Zone.

Alexandre Holroyd, who represents French citizens living in Northern Europe, cited Macron’s decisive victories in France’s presidential and parliamentary elections as evidence that voters wanted reform.

“One of the disasters we’ve had in the last twenty years is that governments have had an eye to the polls more than to policy,” Holroyd said. “The idea that by transforming a country and doing fundamental reforms your poll will go up or down shouldn’t matter.”

Meanwhile in Paris