RTSat, 24 Nov 2018 12:53 UTC
© Reuters / Benoit TessierA truck burns during today's "Yellow vest" protest in Paris
Tear gas and a water cannon were deployed in Paris as protesters again flooded the streets against fuel prices hikes. Thousands have been protesting across France against the measure, which resulted in massive blockades.
The tense standoff between riot police and demonstrators - some of them masked - escalated as law enforcement were pelted with bottles. Police fired back with tear gas and water cannon spay.
At one point some streets in the city center resembled a battlefield, covered with what remained of the barricades, which were set up from fences and trash bins. Even the Arc de Triomphe was barely visible due to the thick smoke. Possible smoke grenades were also used as people walked past the smoking projectiles.RT's correspondent Charlotte Dubenskij has been caught in the midst of the rally and is giving more updates as the demonstration progresses.
AP footage also showed one of the protesters being dragged away by police in riot gear.Eight protesters were arrested for throwing projectiles around noon, Le Figaro reported citing police.
Saturday marks the second week in a row that protests have been held in the French capital and across the country. Some 3,000 security personnel have been deployed to deal with the rally in the city alone.
© Reuters / Benoit TessierProtest in Paris.
One of the videos from the unrest shows demonstrators chanting behind the improvised barricades before being forced to retreat as they were smashed by thick sprays from the water cannon.
The unease has been spurred on by rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax. The 'Yellow Vest' movement, as it's called, is protesting the measure which is due to be in place from January 1, 2019. The government claims the move is aimed at promoting environmentally friendly practices. However, that has been met with a fierce response from the public.
Chaotic scenes emerged during similar rallies last weekend, with one marred by a death.
A woman tragically died during a demonstration in the southeastern region of Savoie as a panicked driver hit her after protesters surrounded the vehicle and began kicking at it. The driver then accelerated and knocked the woman down. Around 200 people were injured during the protests and over 100 were arrested.
Comment: Update: Nov. 25, protesters dumped manure on the doorstep of a government building:
From France 24:
The French government cast blame for the unruly protests on far-right politician Marine Le Pen, claiming she egged them on.
But Le Pen rejected that accusation saying she had "never called for any violence whatsoever" and in turn accused the government of "organising the tension" and seeking to make her a scapegoat.
Meanwhile, opposition parties on both the right and left accused the government of trying to reduce the protests to just the sporadic scenes of violence, and turning a deaf ear to the demonstrators' grievances.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the radical left France Unbowed party who attended a separate march Saturday protesting violence against women, tweeted that the action on the streets was "a mass protest of the people" which signalled "the end for [interior minister] Castaner".
Rural frustrations
A week ago, two people died and over 750 people, including 136 police officers, were injured in sometimes violent demonstrations that have shone a light on frustrations in many rural areas and small towns of France.
The "yellow vests" hail overwhelmingly from non-urban areas of France. They feel overlooked and penalised by policies they see as being pushed through by elitist politicians in Paris.
Former investment banker Macron was elected on a pledge to put more money in workers' pockets. But the effects of his pro-business reforms on unemployment and purchasing power have been limited so far.
Many of the often low-income "yellow vest" protesters are particularly incensed at his decision to hike anti-pollution taxes on diesel, while scrapping a wealth tax on the rich.
"I'm not just fighting against the price of fuel. It's about tax, what we pay," protester Catherine Marguier told AFP near the village of La Gravelle in northwest France.
Meanwhile, in a separate protest in the southern city of Marseille, police fired teargas at bottle-throwing demonstrators upset by the "gentrification" renovation work on the town's biggest square. Around 1,200 demonstrators took part and two were arrested.
'Gap between rich and poor'
Revolts against taxes have been a feature of French public life for centuries. Citizens still pay some of the highest in Europe as a percentage of GDP, and fuel-price protests are a common modern occurrence.
Previous rounds pitting the government against drivers took place in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2008, often when tax increases coincided with high oil prices -- as they have this year.
A poll by the Odoxa research group for Le Figaro newspaper this week found that 77 percent of respondents described it as "justified".
See also:
Comment:
Update: Nov. 25, protesters dumped manure on the doorstep of a government building:
From France 24: See also: