“Blame food prices for France’s riots”, Unherd, July 2, 2023:

“In the spring of 1775 a wave of riots, approximately 300 in total, engulfed the Kingdom of France. The protests did not subside until the army had been deployed and hundreds of rioters arrested.

These events became known as the “Flour War” because the riots were precipitated by a sharp increase in grain prices, which were then passed on to French consumers in the form of higher food prices.

While the Flour War seems like ancient history, it may well have something to tell us about the riots taking place in France over the last few days. Of course, the immediate cause of this unrest was the shooting of a teenager by police. Yet it follows on from smaller riots this year, first in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms, and then to the building of reservoirs in the west of the country…..”

Read the full article at Unherd.com