PARIS-the French President Emmanuel Macron called Sunday for an assessment of possible measures of security against protests, a day after a demonstration in Paris against the increase of taxes and the cost of living became the worst disturbance in France in a decade. Hours after he returned to the French capital from the G20 Summit in Argentina, Macron held an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace while crews worked to remove burned cars, broken glass and graffiti of the famous Avenue of the Champs Elysees and other prominent sites of Paris.
Graffiti from the famous Avenue of the Champs-Elysées. | AP a total of 133 people were injured, including 23 agents, once crowds caused damage in several streets of the capital Saturday, Paris police said.
Authorities fired tear gas and used water cannons to quell the violence as protesters burned cars, breaking windows, looting stores and scattered paint aerosol over the Arc de Triomphe. “Some elements of the police described have been met with”unprecedented”violence, including that demonstrators used hammers, gardening tools, screws, spray cans and stones in physical confrontations, said prefect Michel Delpuech, of the Paris police.
Macron spoke with agents who detained the destructions.
“Some left and right-wing activists were involved in disturbances, as well as a”large number”of protesters who wore vests, Delpuech said. Fluorescent yellow vests, which French motorists should bring in their cars for emergencies, are emblematic of a movement of citizens protesting against the increase in fuel taxes. It triggered fires in six buildings and more than 130 makeshift barricades and 112 vehicles were burned, Delpuech said. Remy Heitz, Prosecutor of Paris, said that 378 people were detained Sunday night, of which 33 were underage. Hours before the same Sunday, Macron visited the Arc de Triomphe, whose statues were damaged and had graffiti. “One of the phrases in the famous monument read:”the Yellow Jackets will triumph”. Later, the President went to a nearby Avenue where activists clashed with police on Saturday. There he met with firefighters, officers and owners of restaurants.
The Macron President observes damage that left the crowds. | “EFE in the meeting of security, the French President told his Interior Minister be considered” modifications “to the safety procedures to try to contain the continuous protests unleashed by the increase in taxes on fuel indicated the Macron Office in a statement. The President also called on the first Minister Edouard Philippe meet with leaders and representatives of the main parties of France and representatives of the popular movement that is behind the protests. Plans for a previous meeting between the Prime Minister and representatives of the movement failed last week once a request to transmit live discussions was rejected. It was the third week followed by disturbances in Paris involving activists dressed in yellow vests of the new protest movement. Demonstrations began in November 17 due to the annoyance of motorists by an increase in taxes on fuel, but have grown to encompass a variety of demands and complaints that the Macron Government don’t care about problems of the ordinary people.
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