© AFP 2019 / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
French police have used tear gas to disperse protesters who occupied the Champs Elysees hours after French President Emmanuel Macron together with European leaders took part in a military parade.
Prior to the police reaction, the protesters started destroying the barriers installed on the streets, trying to build barricades and chanting yellow vest movement slogans.
According to a Sputnik correspondent, several people have been injured as a result of clashes between the police and the protesters.
Minutes before the parade, clashes between activists and law enforcement officers also erupted in one of parade viewing zones. Police reportedly arrested three key members of the yellow vest movement, including its ideologist, Eric Drouet.
The wave of the yellow vest rallies started in France in mid-November over planned hikes in fuel taxes. While the French government abandoned its plans to raise fuel taxes and introduced other measures to improve the country's socio-economic situation, protesters continue to take to the streets across France every weekend for demonstrations to express their discontent with government's policies.
Reader Comments
Much as I support the Gilets Jaune and would like to see them succeed I know enough about history to know that when the elites are threatened they start using real bullets. It has happened in England and America and it happens every day in Latin America plus disappearances, torture and murder.
Well, many hearts and minds are with the gilets jaunes but it hasn't done much for them so far.
If people across Europe had risen up and protested when the Troika was plundering Greece and the Greeks were fighting in the streets perhaps the elites would not be so arrogant and dismissive but who cared what happened to the Greeks?
At that time, a graffiti appeared on a bus shelter in my town which said "Greece today France tomorrow" The glass panes were removed within 24hours and have never been replaced.
But here we are with the same problems. I can't see how they have "lost it" It seems to me they just consolidate their gains.