Rioters on Saturday looted and torched shops and businesses on the famed Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on the 18th weekend of French “yellow vest” protests, characterized by a sharp increase in violence after weeks of dwindling turnout.
French President Emmanuel Macron cut short a skiing trip in the Pyrenees to return to Paris for a crisis meeting, as hooded protesters went on the rampage in Paris, leaving a trail of destruction in the touristic heart of the city.
He vowed to take “strong decisions” to prevent further violence, following the emergency talks held at the French Ministry of the Interior late on Saturday.
Photo: AP
“There are people today who try by all means ... to damage the republic by breaking, by destroying things at the risk of killing someone,” Macron said.
“All those who were there were complicit in” the havoc spread across the Champs-Elysees, he added.
The police appeared overrun as protesters swarmed the Champs-Elysees, vandalizing and later setting fire to Fouquet’s brasserie, a favorite hangout of the rich and famous for the past century — as well as luxury handbag store Longchamp, a bank, another restaurant and several news stands.
The rioters also looted several clothing stores and set fire to barricades in scenes reminiscent of the worst yellow vest riots in Paris in December last year.
“Like the vast majority of French people, I feel very angry today,” tweeted French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who visited the scene.
“Today’s actions are not the work of protesters, but of looters, arsonists and criminals. No cause justifies this violence,” he added.
In a statement, the national police denounced the “mindless violence, cowardly attacks” and stressed their determination to guarantee public order against “provocateurs and vandals.”
Saturday’s turnout was seen a test of the ongoing strength of the movement, which began in November last year over fuel tax hikes and quickly ballooned into a rebellion against Macron’s policies, seen by the protesters as geared toward the rich.
In the past few weeks, the protests have dwindled in size.
However, the ministry estimated the turnout in Paris on Saturday at 10,000, out of about 32,300 nationwide.
That is a fraction of the 282,000 people it said took part in the inaugural demonstrations across France on Nov. 17, but more than the previous weekend.
Saturday’s protests were markedly more violent than in the past few weeks.
Police said close to 240 people were arrested, while prosecutors said more than 100 had been taken into custody.
The bank set alight was on the ground floor of an apartment building and fire firefighters had to quickly evacuate the residents, including a nine-month-old baby.
Eleven people suffered minor injuries in the bank blaze, the fire service told reporters.
The violence left 17 police officers and 42 protesters injured, police said.
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