Cars and Barricades Burn as New ‘Yellow Vest’ Protests Hit Paris

 

PARIS – French “yellow vest” demonstrators clashed with riot police in Paris on Saturday in the latest round of protests against President Emmanuel Macron, but the city appeared to have escaped the large-scale destruction of a week earlier due to heavy security.

Protesters nonetheless set fire to cars, burned barricades and smashed windows in pockets of violence across the city centre, clad in their emblematic luminous safety jackets, as armored vehicles rolled through the streets.

“Dozens of shopkeepers have fallen victim to hooligans,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted. “Once again, this is deplorable.”

Clashes also broke out at protests in other cities including Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse, during a fourth weekend of nationwide protests against rising living costs and Macron in general.

In Paris, shouts of “Macron, resign” mingled with tear gas as thousands massed on the Champs-Elysees avenue.

Thick plumes of black smoke from fires rose high into the sky. Numerous shops and a Starbucks cafe were ransacked.

“The weather is crap and so is this government,” a handful of protesters chanted as light rain began to fall. It turned to downpours by mid-evening, scattering many of the remaining demonstrators.

The outbreaks of violence were on a smaller scale than the destruction and looting of a week earlier, when some 200 cars were torched in the worst rioting in Paris in decades.

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The government had vowed “zero tolerance” for anarchist, far-right or other trouble-makers seeking to wreak further havoc at protests that have sparked the deepest crisis of Macron’s presidency.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe congratulated police for the operation, and promised Macron would address the protesters’ concerns.

“The dialogue has begun and it must continue,” Philippe said. “The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue.”

Police reinforcements were boosted to 8,000 across the city, with armored vehicles deployed in Paris for the first time.

More than 650 protesters were detained in the capital, many of them stopped as they arrived at train stations or meeting points carrying hammers, petanque balls and other potential missiles.

Shops along the Champs-Elysees and central department stores stayed shut with their windows boarded up to avoid looting.

The Eiffel Tower, major museums and many metro stations were also closed as parts of Paris went on effective lockdown.

Protests Beyond France

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“I have two children. I’m fighting for them and just to be able to live a decent life,” said Tony Vella, a 32-year-old builder from the Paris suburbs.

Officials estimated that a total 125,000 “yellow vests” turned out nationwide throughout the day, down from 136,000 last week.

In Paris, health authorities said 126 people had been admitted to hospital, mostly with minor injuries. Among the police, 17 were hurt, Castaner said.

The movement has spread beyond France’s borders, with around 400 arrested at a “yellow vest” protest in Brussels on Saturday and peaceful demonstrations taking place in Dutch towns.

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The French protests also attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump.

“Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it’s time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?” he tweeted.

The demonstrations are not directly linked to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Trump has abandoned to the dismay of Macron and other Western leaders.

People began blockading French roads on November 17 over rising fuel prices — partly due to taxes aimed at helping the country transition to a lower-carbon economy.

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But the demonstrations have since swollen into a broad movement against ex-banker Macron, whom the protesters accuse of favouring the rich.

Nationwide, 89,000 police officers were on duty in towns, cities and on numerous motorways which caused havoc on France’s road network, including a blockade of a border crossing with Spain.

Nearly 1,400 people were detained across France, according to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.

Macron’s U-Turn

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Macron this week gave in to some of the protesters’ demands for measures to help the poor and struggling middle classes, including scrapping a planned increase in fuel taxes.

That climbdown marked a major departure for a president who had vowed, unlike predecessors, not to be swayed by mass protests.

But many of the “yellow vests” are holding out for more.

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Far-right leader Marine Le Pen — who is backed by some protesters from “forgotten” provincial France, but by no means all — called for Macron to “recognise society’s suffering and deliver immediate, very strong responses”.

Protests at dozens of schools over university reforms, and a call by farmers for demonstrations next week, have added to a sense of general revolt in France.

By Agence France-Presse