France's gilets jaunes movement, which has mounted protests across France for the fourth consecutive weekend, cut traffic on Saturday morning through the Pyrenees border crossing at Coll d'Ares, between the Vallespir and Ripollès counties. To do so, they spoke Catalan.
Sí. Mira les pancartes a Coll d'Ares: pic.twitter.com/fDA1KPKPCy
— bertagd 🎗 (@berta_g_d) 8 de diciembre de 2018
Translation: Do you speak Catalan? Yes, look at the placards at Coll d'Ares
The gilets jaunes blocked the highway with pallets and other obstacles, holding up traffic. Among the placards they put on show, several written in Catalan stand out. Macron, toca't els collons - "Macron, go to hell", Poble en lluita - "A people in struggle" and El poble vol decidir - "The people want to decide." The protesters even succeeded in getting one truck to stop and go back.
Un camió arriba a Coll d’Ares i les armilles grogues el fan fer enrere. pic.twitter.com/FX36SHywPP
— Joan Mora Bosch ن (@joanmorabosch) 8 de diciembre de 2018
Protests by the gilets jaunes (armilles grogues in Catalan, or 'yellow vests' in English) prevented hundreds of trucks in Northern Catalonia from reaching shopping malls and hypermarkets. In particular, many large vehicles were blocked between the the border town of Pertús and the Northern Catalonia capital, Perpinyà.