‘Yellow vests’ return in France for new round of protests
>> PARIS: France deployed thousands of police yesterday to contain nationwide protests and road blockades by drivers angry over rising fuel taxes and Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.
Tensions have been mounting around the grassroots movement which drew more than a quarter million people to protest a week ago to protests from Provence to Normandy and in between.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner called for calm and promised tough police measures against unruly crowds who protested across the country, including beneath the Eiffel Tower.
In Paris alone, 3,000 security forces were deployed, notably around tourist-frequented areas like the Champs-Elysees, after an unauthorised attempt last week to march on the presidential palace.
So far, two people been killed and hundreds injured in the week of protests, which are posing a big challenge to Mr Macron.
Authorities are struggling because the movement has no clear leader and has attracted a motley group of people with broadly varying demands. The protesters call themselves the “yellow jackets’’ for the neon security vests that drivers are required to keep in their vehicles.
A man caused a dramatic standoff with police on Friday when he donned a neon vest and brandished an apparent grenade at a supermarket in the western city of Angers.
Most of the protesters’ anger is focused at Mr Macron who is accused of being indifferent to the struggles of ordinary people.
Mr Macron has defended fuel taxes as necessary to reduce France’s dependence on fossil fuels.