Yellow vests again wreak havoc
MORE DAMAGE: ARMOURED CARS DEPLOYED IN PARIS
Macron to address nation after violent protests and calls for his resignation.
French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation today, the Elysee said, following the four weeks of “yellow vest” anti-government protests, as calls mounted for him to bring an end to the violent protests and looting.
The president’s office said he would address the nation today but did not provide other details. Macron, also set to meet trade unionists and business leaders today, is expected to announce “immediate and concrete measures” to respond to the crisis, according to Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud.
Authorities said yesterday the anti-Macron riots in Paris had been less violent than a week ago, with fewer injured, but city hall said the physical damage was far worse as the protests were spread out across the capital.
Burned-out cars dotted the streets in several neighbourhoods yesterday as cleaners swept up the broken glass from smashed shop windows and bus stops.
“There was much more damage yesterday than there was a week ago,” Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire told France Inter radio.
The city of Bordeaux was also badly hit by rioting during a fourth successive weekend of nationwide “yellow vest” protests. What began as demonstrations against fuel tax hikes have ballooned into a mass movement over rising living costs and accusations that Macron, an ex-banker, only looks out for the rich.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the unrest was creating a “catastrophe” for the French economy, with nationwide roadblocks playing havoc with the traffic and putting off tourists.
Parts of the city were on lockdown on Saturday, with department stores, museums and monuments including the Eiffel Tower shut.
Government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux vowed that Macron’s centrist administration would find solutions that took into account protesters’ different grievances.
Overwhelmingly made up of people from rural and small-town France, the movement nonetheless includes protesters of various political stripes whose goals range from lower taxes to Macron’s resignation.
The protests have shown little sign of easing since they began on November 17. The interior ministry said 136 000 people had taken part nationwide in Saturday’s protests, which turned violent in several other cities including Marseille and Toulouse.
In Paris, about 10 000 “yellow vests” flocked to the Champs-Elysees and other areas – 2 000 more than joined the action last week, as many headed in from the provinces. Nationwide, more than 1 700 people were detained, over 1 000 of them in Paris as police vowed “zero tolerance” for anarchists, far-right supporters and others seeking to cause trouble.
More than 500 people were still in custody in Paris by yesterday morning, officials said.
The police security operation mobilised 8 000 officers and saw armoured vehicles deployed in Paris for the first time. The embattled president is expected to address the demonstrations in a much-anticipated speech in the coming days. –