PARIS: French"yellow vests" turned out in small numbers for a sixth Saturday ofnationwide demonstrations, with one person killed in a road accident, the tenthdeath since the protests began last month. In Paris, the scene of violentclashes in previous demonstrations, traffic was normal in the morning and mostshops, except for some luxury boutiques, were open for business in the busyweekend before Christmas.
David Delbruyerewas one of about 20 protesters near the Arc de Triomphe, the fifth time he hascome to the French capital to join a demonstration. And he wasn't discouragedby the small turnout so far. "I think it's going to happen," the48-year-old said. Some 200 people gathered for a demonstration in Paris'tourist area of Monmartre and the Sacre Coeur basilica. In all, around 800"yellow vests" showed up for small demonstrations around the Frenchcapital, police said at mid-day. Authorities were also stationed at the Palaceof Versailles outside Paris which has been closed to visitors over fears ofunrest.
A Facebook eventorganized by "yellow vest" leader Eric Drouet listed 1,400 people asplanned "participants" in the Versailles demonstration with a further8,000 people saying they were "interested". Overnight in Perpignan insouthern France a driver was killed when his car collided with a truck stoppedat a roadblock set up by "yellow vest" protesters at the entrance toan autoroute, prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni told AFP. There have now been 10deaths related to the protests since they began on November 17.
Around 50"yellow vests" briefly blocked trucks near the border between Franceand Spain before gendarmes stepped in. Blockades were also reported in northernFrance near the border with Belgium. Further demonstrations were planned foryesterday in Lyon, Toulouse, Orleans and Brittany. The number of protesters hashowever fallen significantly since last week, when President Emmanuel Macron, apro-business centrist, gave in to some of their demands.
Since the peak onNovember 17 with 282,000 demonstrators, the turnout has fallen to around166,000 on November 24, 136,000 on the first and eighth of December and 66,000on December 15. The interior ministry estimated the numbers taking part invarious protests on Thursday at under 4,000, the lowest since demonstrationsbegan. The movement characterized by thehigh-visibility yellow vests worn by the protesters originally started as aprotest about planned fuel tax hikes, but has morphed into a mass demonstrationagainst Macron's policies and top-down style of governing.
On Fridayevening, the French Senate approved Macron's raft of measures to help theworking poor and pensioners -- just hours after they had been adopted by the lowerhouse of parliament -- which aim to quell "yellow vest" anger andshould come into force early in 2019. In the southwestern city of Toulouse onThursday, some 30 protesters held a rally lampooning Macron on his 41stbirthday. "We haven't brought him any presents because he hasn't given usany," said one protester. - AFP