Monday 8 April 2019, Saint Nazaire, Western France

From April 5 to April 7 the city of Saint Nazaire hosted the second Chief Assembly of the Yellow Vests. It was a sequel to the one held in Commercy on 26-27 January, which had brought together over 350 people representing 75 local groups. This time 700 people attended representing over 200 groups, not counting the volunteers that organised it and the dozens of journalists from France and the whole world that reported on it. The delegations consisted of duly mandated delegates, with a right to vote, and observers, without.

The aim was first to review the situation of the Yellow Vest movement, then to lay the foundations for a national coordinating structure that would be effective and yet suited to the spirit of the Yellow Vests, who are above all keen on direct democracy. So it was a wager, in that the Yellow Vests are very defiant, even hostile to the very idea of representation, on account of the misuses of power that result from representation in our society.

According to numerous participants, this Chief Assembly was a success. For confirmation we must wait for the opinions of branches and base groups to be collated, notably in the matter of the various appeals issued by the Assembly, which have been submitted to them, as is required by direct democracy.