© AFPA protester wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) waves the French national flag during a demonstration in Paris
Paris looks 'less yellow' this Saturday as
only several hundred people descended on the avenue amid a heavy police presence. This time a week ago the number of protesters was much higher and rallies resulted in heavy clashes.
At least 92 people have been detained and 53 taken into police custody in Paris, police said. By this time last Saturday the number of detentions had already reached 500.
As in previous weeks the Yellow Vests have started spreading across other French regions. In the city of Nimes in southern France demonstrators set barricades alight on a toll road.
In Toulouse, which saw violent clashes last week, authorities have deployed Gendarmerie armored vehicles.
France is gripped by the fifth consecutive weekend of Yellow Vests rallies, named after the high-visibility clothing drivers are required to keep in their vehicles. This Saturday, demonstrations are being held
with motto '[Emmanuel] Macron's resignation'.
Protesters wearing yellow vests gather in front of the Opera House as part of the "yellow vests" movement in Paris
Protesters are gathering on the Champs-Élysées, which has seen four weekends of clashes between rioters and police. However, unlike the previous four protests, the number of Yellow Vest protesters is relatively low. As of this morning, at least 25 people have been detained across the Île-de-France region, police revealed.
© ReutersFrench Gendarmes stand near The Arc de Triomphe before a demonstration by the "yellow vests" movement in Paris
Armored vehicles belonging to the Gendarmerie - France's military police - have been spotted near the Arc de Triomphe, the site of the fiercest confrontations between protesters and police.
© Reuters
Police have flooded Paris to contain the rallies, which may turn violent. The
security forces have placed around 8,000 officers on the streets of the capital to quell fears of rioting.
© ReutersProtesters wearing yellow vests take part in a demonstration by the "yellow vests" movement in Paris
People initially protested fuel price hikes due to come into force this January. The government has since abandoned its plans, but the demonstrators continued, demanding more concessions, including lower taxes and a higher minimum wage.
Violence at the protests, especially in the capital, has hit record levels, with several dead and hundreds of protesters injured. Police officers have also suffered injuries.
The number of those detained throughout the protests has surpassed 4,500.At least 95 people have been detained in the capital, with 63 being placed in custody, according to the latest figures.
Over 33,000 people gathered nationwide for the protests, the Interior Ministry said.
Some 2,200 of them rallied in the capital, which is five time less than last Saturday.
Comment: More from RT's ongoing coverage of the protests:
Bare-breasted, silver-painted 'Mariannes' confront police in Paris
© Reuters / Benoit TessierThe bare-breasted women joined a "yellow vest" protest in Paris on Saturday
Half-naked women in blood-red hoodies covered in silver paint evoked the French revolutionary icon on Champs-Elysees avenue on Saturday. Their appearance was in stark contrast to the black and blue uniforms of gendarmes and police officers, and the yellow vests of hundreds of protesters around them.
© Reuters / Benoit Tessier
RT France reporter struck in face covering Yellow Vest protest
An RT France reporter has been hit in the face during Yellow Vest protests in Paris. She has been taken to a nearby hospital.
Nadège Abderrazak was hit near Place de l'Opéra in the French capital, resulting in a bloody cut on her face and a swollen mouth.
RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan tweeted a photo of Abderrazak after the incident, confirming that the reporter has been taken to hospital.
"Our correspondent was injured in the face during the rally in Paris. She went to the hospital," wrote Simonyan.
About a dozen RT reporters have been injured by the police in Paris since the protests began:
RT France reporter shot in the face during police crackdown on Yellow Vest protesters in ParisWhile the protests in France seem to have
scaled down this week, presumably in response to the (not so) coincidental attack in
Strasbourg, there are no signs that they will be coming to a close anytime soon. The meager last-minute concessions offered by Macron drew scorn from the French and, meanwhile, similar movements appear to be spreading throughout Europe, and in some countries even further afield:
Also check out SOTT radio's:
NewsReal: Révolution Jaune? France Revolts Against Macron
Comment: More from RT's ongoing coverage of the protests: About a dozen RT reporters have been injured by the police in Paris since the protests began: RT France reporter shot in the face during police crackdown on Yellow Vest protesters in Paris
While the protests in France seem to have scaled down this week, presumably in response to the (not so) coincidental attack in Strasbourg, there are no signs that they will be coming to a close anytime soon. The meager last-minute concessions offered by Macron drew scorn from the French and, meanwhile, similar movements appear to be spreading throughout Europe, and in some countries even further afield:
- 'Gilets Jaunes' movement spreading: Pro-Brexit protesters block London bridges, bring traffic to standstill
- 'Time to learn from the French!' 10 arrested after Yellow Vest protests spread to Israel
- Egyptian government prohibits yellow vest sales amid fears of French style uprising
- The rebellion spreads: Yellow Vests plan protests across The Netherlands
- Social Contagion: 'Yellow Vest' protests spread among citizens fed up with corruption
- Will Macron's Yellow Vest Implosion Spread to Other EU Countries?
- What do the protesters in France want? Check out the 'official' Yellow Vest manifesto
Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: Révolution Jaune? France Revolts Against Macron