Dec. 8 (UPI) — Police arrested 575 people in Paris as violence broke out Saturday 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.
Protesters wearing yellow vests originally rallied against fuel tax increases — diesel prices surged 16 percent this year in France to an average of $1.69 — but the demonstrations have expanded into a larger protest against the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Demonstrators say he is out of touch with the working class.
Macron agreed to stop a planned fuel tax hike that sparked protests three weeks ago. 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.
Proprietors shut down the high-end shops and restaurants lining the Champs-Elysees 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 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.”
