French police clash with protesters staging a fourth weekend of “gilets jaunes,” or “yellow vest,” demonstrations against the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
Two photographers from the newspaper Le Parisien were hit by projectiles. One was taken to hospital as dusk drew near in a city still in shock from last weekend’s riots — the worst to hit the French capital in decades.
One Parisian, teacher Francesca Testi, tweeted a video of protesters smashing up what appeared to be a cafe.
A French radio reporter, Boris Kharlamoff, tweeted a photo of his wounded torso after a rubber bullet hit him.
“A policeman shot at me with a rubber bullet even though my press arm band was showing,” he wrote. “It hurts but it’s all right. Colleagues be careful on the Champs-Élysées.”
Protesters could be heard calling for Macron’s resignation Saturday in Paris.
Macron will address the demonstrations Monday, according to the Élysée Palace.
Some 125,000 joined in Saturday’s protests across France, the interior minister said, with about 10,000 in Paris. The latter converged around midday on the Champs-Élysées, with many dressed in “gilets jaunes,” the yellow high-visibility jackets that have become the symbol of the movement.
Police used water cannons in a bid to disperse the crowd.
Tires were also set on fire, but with riot police outnumbering the demonstrators by about 2 to 1, there were none of the violent scenes that grabbed international attention a week ago.
A smaller “yellow vest” demonstration of about 500 people also took place in the Belgian capital of Brussels near the European Parliament, according to the newspaper Le Soir.
