Baulaigue, Michel <br/><br/>
Tension in Réunion: The popular power of the gilets jaunes 

 -  2019.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> Réunion joined the national gilet jaunes (yellow vests) movement on November 17, 2018. This protest movement quickly gathered momentum, and the island was paralyzed from November 19 onwards, with an unprecedented outburst of violence centered on roadblocks. Popular power is displayed in public and challenges the powers-that-be that no longer understand what is happening on the streets, because for too long they have ignored and denigrated the people. This movement, just like the one in mainland France, means much more than a mere protest against the rise in the price of fuel. It is fighting against the high cost of living on the island, and even more than that, aims to be heard and recognized in a quest for identity, calling for a community ideal and a more participatory democracy. This article tries to understand how this protest movement was born and how this popular power is facing up to the powers-that-be in Réunionese society, where citizens’ opinions have long been suppressed.