Protests turn violent

France

A French yellow vest protester’s hand was ripped apart yesterday during violent clashes in Paris as demonstrators tried to storm the French National Assembly in a 13th consecutive week of unrest. Police said the injured protester lost four fingers as police swooped in to stop protesters from breaching the parliament’s exterior. Cars, motorbikes and trash bins were set ablaze as the protest moved towards the city’s Invalides monument and onto the Eiffel Tower. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner went to Twitter to express his ‘‘disgust’’ as protesters set alight an anti-terror military car. Its yellow smoking plumes, against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, made for a powerful image of rejecting authority. Such vehicles have been a common sight in Paris since deadly extremist attacks in 2015.