French police deployed tear gas after thousands of “yellow vest” activists converged on the the Champs Élysées for a third week of protests against President Emmanuel Macron and his government. Over 122 arrests have been made.
Chanting “On the way to Macron’s resignation,” the protesters were hit with tear gas as riot police struggled to contain Saturday’s violence, which saw cars set on fire, paint thrown on officers, and several injuries. Protesters attempted to breach barricades blocking the path to the presidential palace on Saturday morning; “lighting fires, throwing rocks and spraying police officers with vivid yellow paint.”
Riot police fire tear gas and stun grenades at “yellow vest” protesters in Paris.
It’s the third weekend of mall demonstrations which began against rising fuel prices.
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 1, 2018
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Protesters were hit with a water cannon for the second week in a row:
J’ai été blessé par un tir de la police pic.twitter.com/0xhwilXc1c
— Lucas Léger (@lucas_rtfrance) December 1, 2018
Originally formed to protest rising fuel prices, the “yellow vest” protesters have evolved into a wider demonstration against President Emmanuel Macron’s government in recent weeks. After French interior minister Christophe Castaner initially blamed the “far right” for the protests, the interior ministry has now said the participants are “extreme-right and far-left demonstrators,” according to The Guardian.
The gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests are posing one of the most sustained challenges yet to Emmanuel Macron’s leadership. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have barricaded roads and blockaded toll-booths and fuel depots across France over the past two weeks, complaining that Macron’s pro-business tax policy was unfair and that people on low-income jobs could not make ends meet.
Motorists initially demonstrated against a fuel tax increase two weeks ago, but the protesters, who have no leader and have largely organised themselves online, now have much broader demands and further actions have followed. –The Guardian
There have been claims that “more radical groups” have infiltrated the grassroots movement, while Castaner tweeted that “1,500 troublemakers” had overtaken what started out as “200 peaceful demonstrators.” The replies to his tweet suggest people aren’t buying it…
200 manifestants pacifiques sur les Champs-Élysées.
1500 perturbateurs à l’extérieur du périmètre venus pour en découdre.
Nos forces de l’ordre répondent présent et repoussent les casseurs : déjà 39 interpellations. #1erDécembre— Christophe Castaner (@CCastaner) December 1, 2018
Two people have been killed in car accidents and hundreds injured since the riots began on November 17.
Meanwhile the protests have spread to Brussels, Belgium where Yellow Vest activists burned police vans after the police fired a water cannon at the crowd.
‘Yellow Vest’ protest hits Brussels
Details: https://t.co/p40EHUHgtU pic.twitter.com/ppVuEEqsWc— RT (@RT_com) November 30, 2018
VIDEO: Protesters in Belgium burned police vans after officers fired water cannon to disperse violent members of the “yellow vest” movement which spilled over from France pic.twitter.com/ksh2M0rJVp
— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 30, 2018
[In videos] – Protesters wearing the ‘Yellow Vest’ clash with police as they gather against high taxes and costs of living on November 30, 2018, in Brussels, Belgium. pic.twitter.com/PEpjr2h2DN
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) November 30, 2018
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