In what appears to be a mass hysteria, more than 133 people were injured and almost 412 people were arrested as ‘yellow vest’ protesters have simultaneously lighted fires, up-turned vehicles and vandalized properties in Central Paris.
As of press time, the hundreds of the arrested yellow vest protesters who caused havoc on the streets of Paris have been placed under police custody.
The said protest is now on its third weekend, with citizens singing France’s National Anthem, La Marseillaise and ‘Macron resign!’ in the Parisian’s ardent opposition to the country’s rising gas prices which torpedoed a spike in prices of commodities.
Police responded with tear gas and water canons after being targeted by protesters in the mayhem, which started in the last week of October.
Authorities are also checking IDs of people before they are allowed to enter the main avenues of Paris.
The city’s main shopping districts wake up at thick smoke everyday, specifically around the Arc de Triomphe, where protesters would gather to fight police forces in what appears to be a cat-and-mouse chase.
The warpath of the chaos
Diesel prices surged to 16% this year, moving the average 1.24 euros per liter ($1.41) to 1.48 euros ($1.69), and gearing up to 1.53 euros in October alone. Oil wholesale price was cranked up from $60 a barrel to $86.07 as of October this year.
Protesters in the extreme left and far right have been protesting for three weeks now and are not showing signs of stopping anytime soon. Former Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe said there are 5,500 protesters in Paris and a combined 36,000 spread across France. Police unions reported 582 road blockages.
The ebb and flow
According to a report of BBC, the movement has grown exponentially over the past few months through social media.
In November, nearly 300,000 people took part in the first country-wide demonstration.
The coordination of the group is made thru Facebook.
The report said the group of protested doesn’t have “an identifiable leadership or a coherent demand”.
Statement from Macron
President Emmanuel Macron, who was in Buenos Aires where he was attending a G20 summit, told the media: “Those responsible for this violence don’t want change or improvement, they want chaos.”
“No cause justifies that authorities are attacked, that businesses are plundered, that passers-by or journalists are threatened or that the Arc du Triomphe is defiled,” he said.
Earlier this week, the president tried to calm the chaos by releasing a conciliatory tone, saying he was open to changes on how the fuel tax across the country would be applied.
The mayhem has also prompted Prime Minister Philippe to cancel his trip to Poland on Sunday for the COP24 climate summit to meet with Macron after the violence broke out.
Photo credit: Getty
Scène surréaliste. Plusieurs véhicules ont été incendiés près de l’Arc de triomphe @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/K1ShvzgGuz
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018
Situation toujours très tendue près de l’Arc de triomphe. Violents affrontements entre #GiletsJaunes et forces de l’ordre @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/h5vFP6UUJG
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018
Un local de chantier vient d’être incendié avenue Marceau @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/UPDiQ8jZGm
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018
Avenue Marceau, les forces de l’ordre utilisent un canon à eau pour disperser les #GiletsJaunes. Situation toujours très tendue @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/flp5OIyHNA
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018
URGENT – une voiture de police vient d’être prise pour cible par des “casseurs”. Plusieurs personnes ont dérobé du matériel @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/yK9ETbFlIB
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018
Le véhicule de police est entrain d’être incendié @A2PRL pic.twitter.com/5pS2A4EVSf
— Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) December 1, 2018