PARIS: Thousandsof anti-government demonstrators marched in cities across France on Saturday ina new round of "yellow vest" protests against President EmmanuelMacron, accused of ignoring the plight of millions of people struggling to makeends meet. Officials have vowed zero tolerance for the violence that has marredthe weekly protests since they began two months ago, deploying some 80,000security forces nationwide.
In Paris,epicenter of the fiery street clashes and vandalism that have made globalheadlines, 5,000 riot police were on hand, using tall barricades and armoredvehicles to lock down the central Place de la Concorde and surroundingdistricts. Hundreds of officers were also on guard on the Champs-Elysees, wherebanks, jewelry stores and other shops had boarded up windows in anticipation ofrenewed looting and violence.
Yet many cafesand retailers on the iconic avenue remained open for business, as severalthousands of protesters marched calmly from the Place de la Bastille toward theArc de Triomphe early in the afternoon. Many sang the "Marseillaise"national anthem, while others held signs saying "Insecurity is not ajob!"
At times thecrowd yelled "Free Christophe!" in reference to Christophe Dettinger,the former professional boxer arrested last week after being filmed bashing twopolice officers during the Paris demos. Police said some 30 people had beendetained in the capital earlier for carrying weapons or other charges."We've come to Paris to make ourselves heard, and we wanted to see forourselves at least once what's going on here," said Patrick, 37, who toldAFP he had travelled from the Savoie region of western France.
'Macron resign!'
In thewell-heeled race-horsing town of Chantilly just north of Paris, 1,000 or soprotesters marched through the centre before descending on the hippodrome wherethey delayed the start of a race, local media said. And another 1,200protesters gathered in the central city of Bourges, where some yellow-vestorganizers were hoping to those from areas far from the capital.
Signs said"Macron resign!" and "France is angry," while localprosecutor Joel Garrigue said five people had been detained after policediscovered a cache of ball bearings during a search of their car. The protestsalso spilt over the border into eastern Belgium late on Friday, where one ofaround 25 protesters manning a blockade died after being hit by a truck,Belgian media reported.
Mutual mistrust
Officials had warnedof bigger and more violent protests than last week, when demonstrators rammed aforklift truck through the main doors of a government ministry in Paris."Those who are calling to demonstrate tomorrow know there will beviolence, and therefore they are in part responsible," Interior MinisterChristophe Castaner said in a Facebook interview Friday with Brut, a digitalnews site favored by many yellow vests.
But many yellowvests pointed to images of a police officer repeatedly striking an unarmed manon the ground during a protest last week in Toulon, accusing the police ofexcessive use of force. The movement, which began as protests over high fueltaxes, has snowballed into a wholesale rejection of Macron and his policies,which are seen favouring the wealthy at the expense of rural and small-townFrance.
Politiciansinspire 'distrust, disgust'
Macron has calledfor a national debate starting next week to hear voters' grievances, hoping tosate demands for more of a say in national law-making and tamp down theprotesters' anger. He has already unveiled a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion)financial relief package for low earners, and axed the planned fuel tax hike.But the public consultations risk being hobbled by record levels of distrusttowards politicians and representatives of the state.
A poll by theCevipof political sciences institute released Friday showed 77 percent ofrespondents thought politicians inspired "distrust","disgust" or "boredom". And Macron may not have donehimself any favors on Friday, when he told a gathering at the Elysee Palacethat "too many of our citizens think they can get something without makingthe necessary effort." - AFP