Paris police use tear gas, water cannon on “yellow vest” protests anniversary

French police fired water cannon and fired tear gas in Paris on Saturday to drive back protesters marking the first anniversary of anti-government “yellow vest” demonstrations.

Demonstrators, many clad in black and hiding their faces, vandalized an HSBC bank branch at the Place d’Italie. They set trash bins on fire and hurled cobblestones and bottles at riot police while building barricades.

Several cars were set ablaze. Police responded with tear gas and a water cannon.

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police near the Porte de Champerret, close to the Arc de Triomphe, as protesters were preparing to march across town towards Gare d’Austerlitz. Police also intervened to prevent a few hundred demonstrators from occupying the Paris ring road.

The yellow vest protests, named for the high-visibility jackets worn by demonstrators, erupted in November 2018 over fuel price hikes and the high cost of living. The demonstrations spiraled into a broader movement against President Emmanuel Macron and his economic reforms.

 

REUTERS