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Yellow vest protests continue for third weekend
Thousands of "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) protesters, often masked, riot in the streets of Paris and other major French cities for a third weekend.
Hundreds have been arrested and injured (including police) in the often violent protests.
Reuters documents https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-protests-violence/roving-gangs-of-yellow-vest-militants-set-heart-of-paris-ablaze-idUSKCN1O03N4 [reuters.com] the activities in some detail.
This video https://www.rt.com/news/445358-mob-attacks-cop-paris/ [rt.com] shows a mob of protesters surround and attack a policeman (it's ok, he gets away, with help from one or more of the protesters).
The protests are over fuel taxes imposed to discourage fossil fuel use and help France meet its carbon emission goals under the Paris Climate Accord (which the U.S. is not party to.)
With the usual nod to common sense:
The U.S. embassy issued a statement urging citizens to be careful, saying that “violent clashes between police and protesters” continued in at least three of Paris’s 20 districts, known as arrondissements.
“Avoid all demonstrations, seek shelter in the vicinity of clashes, follow instructions of security personnel”
Chants and graffiti sprayed during the protests sometimes expresses frustration with the administration
some targeted the Arc de Triomphe, chanting “Macron Resign” and scrawling on the facade of the towering 19th-century arch: “The yellow vests will triumph.”
and other times simply more general anarchistic statements
Protesters smashed the windows of a newly opened flagship Apple Store (AAPL.O) and luxury boutiques of Chanel and Dior, where they daubed the slogan “Merry Mayhem” on a wooden board.
French President Emmanuel Macron commented Tuesday on the protests, saying that
he understood the anger of voters outside France’s big cities over the squeeze fuel prices have put on households. But he insisted he would not be bounced into changing policy by “thugs”.
which conciliatory words have no doubt improved the situation.
The protests enjoy widespread support inside and outside the major cities, including from many of the police even as they strive to keep order, and show no signs of abating.
