Police arrested 575 people in Paris Saturday and fired tear gas and water cannons as violence broke out in the fourth weekend of ‘yellow vests’ protests.<\/b>
\nDec. 8 (UPI) — Police arrested 575 people in Paris Saturday and fired tear gas and water cannons as violence broke out in the fourth weekend of «yellow vests» protests.
Paris police fired tear gas and water cannons at some violent protesters in clashes on the Champs-Elysees, as the crowd of demonstrators in Paris grew to 8,000 Saturday.
Demonstrators wearing yellow vests originally rallying against fuel tax increases — diesel prices surged 16 percent this year in France to an average of $1.69 — have expanded into a larger protest against the government of President Emmanuel Macron, which demonstrators say is out of touch with the working class.
Macron had agreed to stop a planned fuel tax hike that sparked protest three weeks ago, but protests continued Saturday. Demonstrators demanded lower taxes, better wages and retirement benefits.
Some protesters Saturday attempted to block the Porte Maillot dual carriageway, which is a toll-free route into Paris.
The protests shut down the high-end shops and restaurants lining the Champs-Elysees avenue as a precaution to prevent looting .
Shouts of «Macron Resign!» were heard among crowds, along with cursing at police and the news media.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told CNN that the government was deploying 89,000 security force members across the country.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Friday resources would be deployed to stop protests from being hijacked by «a small minority» who have been «radicalized and fallen into violence and hate.»<\/p>\n