I recall reading in Tacitus that during the reign of Nero a senator, annoyed by the uppityness of some of the servile mob in the city, proposed a law that slaves be required to wear a special insignia or style of clothing, so they could be readily identified and not mistaken for freemen. This proposal was instantly quashed when another senator pointed out it would be a mistake to let the villains know how numerous they were.

It occurs to me that this was the exact mistake made by the French elite before the “yellow vest” riots. Never hand out uniforms to your oppressed class.