French protest group to field candidates for EU parliament

PARIS – A group of France’s yellow vest protesters says it is fielding a slate of candidates for the European Parliament elections.

Members of the Citizens’ Initiative Rally said they hope momentum from more than two months of street protests will carry the protest movement into electoral politics.

Campaign director Hayk Shahinyan told France’s BFM TV network on Wednesday the activists want to “build a list that looks like citizens.”

He said: “We have something to do in that election, like waking up the people who don’t vote.”

A recent poll predicted yellow vest candidates would receive as much as 13 per cent of the French vote in the May 26 elections.

Weekly protests that started over fuel taxes often are ascribed to the “yellow vest” movement because participants wear roadside safety vests.

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This version has been corrected to reflect Shahinyan identifies as male.