Some 2,200 Yellow Vest protesters gathered at various sites in Paris for the fifth Saturday in a row, according to official figures, a marked downturn compared to last week’s headcount of roughly 10,000.
Following unrest last Saturday, the 33,500 protesters nationwide (compared to 77,000 the previous week) met with a hefty security force presence of 69,000. In Paris alone 8,000 police officers and 14 armoured vehicles were deployed.
The protesters clashed with security forces on the Champs-Elysees, with tear gas used to disperse the crowds. Yet the number of arrests was significantly down from last week: 90 as compared to 598 by the same point in the afternoon, according to police.
Protesters wearing fluorescent yellow safety vests have staged rallies and blocked roads across France since mid-November, sparked by planned fuel-tax rises that the government said were necessary to support environmental measures.
Yet their demands have since evolved in some instances into calls for more…
