IPP Policy Brief n°39
April 2019
Authors : Pierre C. Boyer, Thomas Delemotte, Germain Gauthier, Vincent Rollet, Benoît Schmutz
Contact : pierre.boyer@polytechnique.edu, benoit.schmutz@polytechnique.edu
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The Territory of the gilets jaunes
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Summary :
Where did the “gilets jaunes” protest movement come from? From its first Saturday of action in November 2018, the movement was distinctive for both its local character and its national coverage.
Relying on novel Facebook data, we show that there is a strong correlation between online mobilisation (on Facebook) and o ffline mobilisation (blockading of roundabouts), and offer a fine-grained and contrasted mapping of the data, at the scale of départements and commuting zones.
By simultaneously controlling for the different political, economic and geographical factors likely to explain the movement’s genesis, we reveal the signi cant role played by mobility issues, particularly the speed limit reduction to 80 km/h on secondary roads and commuting distances..
Key points:
- We seek to identify the determinants of the mobilisation of the “gilets jaunes”.
- Using data collected on Facebook and the locations of the blockaded roundabouts, we can map the “gilets jaunes” mobilisation online and offl ine.
- The 2017 presidential election results, the local share of diesel vehicles and poverty rates among retired people are not strongly correlated with the demonstration.
- Mobility, however, measured in terms of the exposure to the speed limit reduction to 80 km/h on secondary roads and commuting distances, appears to be an important factor for explaining the movement’s origins.
Press articles
- CNews, 17/11/2019 – Qui sont les gilets jaunes ? Des chercheurs ont enquêté
- Le Monde, 15/11/2019 – Entre Facebook et le rond-point, « la double originalité du mouvement des “gilets jaunes” »
- Le Parisien, 20/04/19 – Limitation à 80 km/h : le grand flou
- La Croix, 19/04/19 – Gilets jaunes, le kilomètre du km/h par km2
- France Inter, 19/04/19 – Une étude pointe le chômage et les 80 km/h comme source de la mobilisation des “gilets jaunes”
- L’Opinion, 17/04/2019 – Pour 1 kilomètre de route à 80 km/h, 10 Gilets jaunes mobilisés
- Le Figaro, 17/04/2019 – Les «gilets jaunes» ont-ils vraiment à voir avec le passage à 80 km/h? Oui!
- Libération, 17/04/2019 – Gilets jaunes : le 80 km/h ne passe pas
- Alternatives économiques, 14/04/2019 – Du mur aux ronds-points : cartographie de l’émergence des “gilets jaunes”
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