The Territory of the gilets jaunes

International audienceWhere 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 offline 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 signicant role played by mobility issues, particularly the speed limit reduction to 80 km/h on secondary roads and commuting distances.