Police fire tear gas as they clash with ‘yellow vest’ protesters amid another weekend of civil unrest in the French capital
- The grass roots movement began as resistance against a rise in taxes for diesel and petrol, but quickly expanded to encompass other grievances
- After two weekends of violence that made authorities look powerless, police in Paris went into overdrive on Saturday to keep a lid on unrest
Blue armoured vehicles beneath the Arc de Triomphe and rows of helmeted, thickly protected riot police blocked the demonstrators’ passage down the Champs-Elysees avenue toward the heart of presidential power. A ring of steel surrounded the Elysee Palace itself as police stationed trucks and reinforced steel barriers in streets throughout the entire neighbourhood.
Prized Paris monuments and normally bustling shopping meccas were locked down at the height of the holiday shopping season. The Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum were among tourist attractions that remained closed, fearing damage after rioting and looting last Saturday that saw 130 people injured.
The grass roots “yellow vest” protest movement began as resistance against a rise in taxes for diesel and petrol, but quickly expanded to encompass frustration at stagnant incomes, the growing cost of living and other grievances. Macron agreed to abandon the fuel tax increase, but that has not defused the anger, embodied by the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists are required to keep in their cars.