After weeks of declining participation, France’s “yellow vest” protest movement attempted to rebound on Saturday with a major rally in Paris. It quickly turned violent with Police firing tear gas to disperse protesters.
Large plumes of smoke covered Paris’ skyline as protesters started bonfires in the street, smashed shop windows, and hurled cobblestones at riot police.
Police used water cannons and fired tear gas in front of the Arc de Triomphe monument in Les Champs Elysees and at least 30 demonstrators were arrested by late morning
Tensions flared at the top of the famed avenue where upmarket restaurant Fouquet’s, which is often frequented by celebrities and politicians, was set alight and vandalised. At least one car was set on fire.
For the 18th straight week of anti-government protests, which initially rocked President Emmanuel Macron’s administration, forcing him to adopt more anti-poverty measures, took to the streets in an effort to give new life to the movement after appearing to fizzle in recent weeks.
Saturday’s attempted reboot coincides with the end of two months of public debates called by Macron to take the heat out of the protests, which repeatedly ended in rioting in December and January.
The level of participation will be seen as a n indication of the support for the movement, which began in November over fuel tax hikes but quickly ballooned into an anti-Macron revolt.
Last week, only around 28,000 people demonstrated nationwide, according to the authorities, a tenth of the numbers that turned out for the inaugural protest on November 17.
The organisers of Saturday’s protest presented it as an “ultimatum” to Macron, prompting fears of a return to the violence that characterised earlier rallies.
Via France 24
