More than 5,000 police officers were on the streets of the French capital on Saturday to monitor the ninth weekend of street protests by the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) movement. They also had armored vehicles, dogs, and mounted officers stationed through Paris.
National police chief Eric Morvan told France Inter radio that he expected turnout nationwide to be similar to protests in mid-December, when more than 60,000 people took to the streets across the country.
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The protests, named after the high-visibility jackets French drivers carry in their cars, have repeatedly witnessed clashes between demonstrators and police since they began in November in response to a fuel tax hike that President Emmanuel Macron has not said he is willing to reconsider
At around 11:00a.m., a few thousand demonstrators set off from near the Finance Ministry intending to make their way to the Champs-Elysees. A few scuffles broke out between protesters and police near the Arc de Triomphe.
Overnight, police had arrested 24 people in connection with the protests for carrying weapons.
