After worst riots since 1968, stunned Parisians clean up city
PARIS: Workmen cleared away burnt hulks of cars, scrubbed the defaced Arc de Triomphe monument and replaced the shattered windows of luxury boutiques in Paris on Sunday after the worst riots in the centre of the capital in half a century.
Several thousand riot police were overwhelmed on Saturday as they fought running battles with protesters in the shadows of some of Paris’ fabled landmarks and through its fanciest shopping districts. More than 400 people were arrested and more than 100 injured, shocking Parisians and tourists alike. At the base of the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe, police kept the public back as cleanup crews set about erasing graffiti, much of it targeting Pres- ident Emmanuel Macron and some exuding anarchist sentiment such as, “Overthrow the bourgeoisie!”
Authorities were caught offguard by the escalation in vio- lence after two weeks of nationwide unrest against fuel taxes and high living costs, known as the “yellow vest” movement after the fluorescent jackets worn by the protesters. The government said it would consider a state of emergency in the face of unrest across the country. The violence in Paris was the worst in the elegant centre of the capital since the May 1968 student uprising that brought France to its knees.
Parisians and tourists surveyed the aftermath, capturing the moment on smartphones as the capital digested the chaos that now poses a serious challenge to Macron’s presidency. “Macron has a problem on his hands. Everyone’s fed up. He’s got to listen more,” said Amaya Fuster, eyeing graffiti that read: “There’s enough money in the coffers of businessmen. Share the riches!”