Thousands of French “yellow vest” demonstrators marched on Saturday for
their 13th weekend of action, with scuffles in Paris and a
demonstrator’s hand mangled by a small explosive.
There was also an overnight arson attack on the Brittany residence of
the National Assembly head – though no immediate link was made to the
actions against President Emmanuel Macron.
The “yellow vest” demonstrators, named for high-visibility car jackets,
began in mid-November over fuel taxes then broadened into a more general
revolt against a political class they view as out of touch with common
people.
In Paris, several thousand marched on Saturday beside symbols of power such as the National Assembly and Senate.
Though mainly peaceful, some protesters threw objects at security
forces, a scooter and a police van were set on fire, and some shop
windows were smashed.
One participant’s hand was severely injured when he tried to pick up a
so-called “sting-ball grenade” used by police to disperse crowds with
teargas, a police source told Reuters.
Another man had blood streaming down his face in front of a line of riot police.
The Interior Ministry put the total number of protesters around France
at 12,000, including 4,000 in Paris. The police source, however, said
numbers were higher, with 21,000 demonstrators taking part in rallies
outside Paris.
“We’re not children, we’re adults,” said Hugues Salone, a computer
engineer from Paris, among the chanting and placard-waving protesters.
“We really want to assert our choices, and not the choices of the
politicians who do not live up to them.”
Leaders of the “yellow vest” movement have denounced the police for
injuring protesters, but have also struggled to contain violence from
their own lines.
On some previous weekends, Paris has been a battleground.
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned the arson
attack on the home of Richard Ferrand, a close ally of Macron and
president of parliament’s lower house.
He published pictures on Twitter of a scorched living room, saying
police found materials soaked in fuel. Ferrand said criminal intent was
the likely cause, though the perpetrators’ identity was unclear.
“Nothing justifies intimidations and violence towards an elected
official of the Republic,” Macron tweeted in relation to the incident.
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