Paris: France’s ‘yellow vests’ are expected to stage further anti-government protests Saturday despite the authorities vowing a ‘zero tolerance’ approach after major riots in Paris last week.
Paris police have banned the protesters from a large area in the west of the city, including the famed Champs-Elysees avenue, scene of last week’s rampage by hundreds of anarchists, as well as the presidential palace and National Assembly.
Similar bans have been announced in the centres of Toulouse, Bordeaux, Dijon, Rennes and the southern city of Nice where Chinese President Xi Jinping is to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron this weekend.
Macron is under pressure to avoid a repeat of last week’s sacking of the Champs-Elysees, where over 100 shops were damaged, looted or set alight during seven hours of rioting by mainly masked, black-clad protesters.
The government has announced plans to redeploy soldiers from its Sentinelle anti-terror force Saturday to guard public buildings to free up the police to tackle the radicals.
The announcement has drawn howls of protest from the opposition who have accused the government of playing with fire.
On social media, ‘yellow vest’ leaders, who have been accused of whipping up the violence with incendiary rhetoric, urged caution Saturday.
AFP