A STRONG police presence was deployed in Paris on Saturday for planned demonstrations by the “yellow vest” protesters.
Thousands of “yellow vests” took to the streets of the French capital, despite pleas for calm after the shooting in Strasbourg earlier this week.
French authorities repeated calls for calm after protests in previous weekends turned violent.
Security forces in riot gear were positioned around central railway stations and along the famous Champs-Elysees boulevard, where shops were closed and their windows boarded up in anticipation of the protests.
Authorities said about 8000 police officers and 14 armoured vehicles were being deployed in the French capital. As for the rest of the country, around 69,000 have been deployed.
Last weekend, groups of demonstrators looted stores, clashing with police and setting up burning barricades in the streets. Around 135 people were reported to be injured following the protests.
The “yellow vest” movement, which takes its name from the fluorescent safety vests French motorists all have in their vehicles as a matter of law, emerged in mid-November as a protest against fuel tax increases.
It soon expanded into an expression of rage about the high cost of living in France and a sense that President Emmanuel Macron’s government is detached from the everyday struggles of workers.
There was a strong police presence on Saturday outside the central Saint Lazare station, where police in riot gear checked bags.
More than 20 police vans and a water cannon truck were parked nearby. Hundreds of people began converging on the Champs-Elysees during the morning.
“We’re here to represent all our friends and members of our family who can’t come to protest, or because they’re scared,” said Pierre Lamy, a 27-year-old industrial worker wearing a yellow vest and with a French flag draped over his shoulders as he walked to the protest with three friends.
He said the protests had long stopped being about the fuel tax and had turned into a movement for economic justice.
“Everything’s coming up now,” he said. “We’re being bled dry.”
On Friday, Macron called for calm during the demonstrations, and the French government reiterated the call online for demonstrators to remain peaceful.
“Protesting is a right. So let’s know how to exercise it,” the government tweeted from its official account, with a 34-second video which begins with images of historic French protests and recent footage of “yellow vests” rallying peacefully before turning to violence.
“Protesting is not smashing. Protesting is not smashing our heritage.
“Protesting is not smashing our businesses ... Protesting is not smashing our republic,” the video says.
“France needs calm, order and a return to normal,” Macron said.
The government warned that the protests are taking a toll on the country’s economy.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here