Stay home, Paris appeals to ‘yellow vests’
THE French government yesterday urged “yellow vest” protesters not to hold another round of demonstrations this weekend as police hunted for a second day for the fugitive gunman who attacked a Christmas market in the eastern city of Strasbourg.
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux called on the anti-government protesters to be “reasonable,” citing the strain on security forces after the bloodshed in Strasbourg on Tuesday evening.
Police across several European countries have joined a manhunt for the main suspect, a 29-yearold Strasbourg native, who killed three and injured 13, according to an updated toll from French authorities.
The suspected killer, identified as Cherif Chekatt, is said to have been injured after exchanging fire with soldiers, but managed to escape and has not been seen since.
“Our security forces have been deployed extensively these past few weeks,” Griveaux told CNews television.
“It would be better if everyone could go about their business calmly on Saturday, before the year-end celebrations with their families, instead of demonstrating and putting our security forces to work once again,” he added.
So-called “yellow vest” protesters, known for their fluorescent high-visibility jackets, had called for a fifth round of protests this Saturday against President Emmanuel Macron.
The protests began on November 17 over fuel tax increases, but snowballed into a revolt over living standards.
A 23-year-old protester was killed after he was hit by a truck on a roundabout in southern France near Avignon late on Thursday, the sixth person to have died during the weeks of protests.
Hundreds of police in France are now hunting for Chekatt, whose picture was published late Wednesday in a bid to track the career criminal who has at least 27 convictions in four European countries.
Strasbourg’s location in the heart of western Europe means that Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg can be easily reached by car or train, making the search for Chekatt more complicated.