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Paris in lockdown as braces for weekend of far-right anarchist riots

Another weekend of hooligans rioting against Macron's fuel tax (because **** the environment right?)

https://www.reuters.com/article/france-protests/paris-in-lockdown-as-france-braces-for-new-anti-macron-riots-idINKBN1O704U

In what should have been a festive pre-Christmas shopping day, tourists were few and residents were advised to stay at home if at all possible.

Dozens of streets in central Paris were closed to traffic, while the Eiffel Tower and world-famous museums such as the Musee d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre were closed.

Many shops were boarded up to avoid looting and street furniture and construction site materials have been removed to prevent them from being used as projectiles.

“I hope they don’t make it as far as here,” said Anthony, a fruit stall vendor in the residential left bank, who declined to give his surname. He said 11 other open-air food markets across the city had been closed.

About 89,000 police were deployed across the country.

Of these, about 8,000 were deployed in Paris to avoid a repeat of last Saturday’s mayhem when rioters torched cars and looted shops off the famed Champs Elysees boulevard, and defaced the Arc de Triomphe monument with graffiti directed at President Emmanuel Macron.

Demonstrations have since swelled into a broad, violent rebellion against Macron, a challenge made more difficult to handle since the movement has no formal leader.

Authorities say the protests have been hijacked by far-right and anarchist elements bent on violence and stirring up social unrest in a direct affront to Macron and the security forces.

“We have prepared a robust response,” Interior Minister Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told online news site Brut on Saturday. He called on peaceful protesters not to get mixed up with “hooligans”.

“The troublemakers can only be effective when they disguise themselves as yellow vests. Violence is never a good way to get what you want. Now is the time for discussion,” he said.

Macron, whose popularity is at a low ebb according to polls, has been forced into making the first major U-turn of his presidency by abandoning a fuel tax.

Despite the climbdown, the “yellow vests” continue to demand more concessions from the government, including lower taxes, a higher minimum wage, lower energy costs, better retirement benefits and even Macron’s resignation.

One of them, Eric Drouet, a truck driver, called on protesters to storm into the Elysee presidential palace. An Elysee official has said intelligence suggested that some protesters would come to the capital “to vandalize and to kill”.

Reply 1

Andrew97

Entertainment Forum Helper, Debate & Current Affairs Helper

Given he scrapped the fuel price rises, it’s not against those.

Far right? Sigh. How do you know their political persuasion? Or is it becsuse they are against your bumchum Macron they must be far right?

Reply 2

Underscore__

Far right yet they want a higher minimum wage and better retirement benefits? Those people are lefties mate

Reply 3

hello_shawn

"Give £2 a month." (So that we don't have to)
"Use less energy." (So that we can use more)
It's always what they say and not what they mean. So I'm not surprised that they protest.

Reply 4

Joinedup

Original post by Underscore__

Far right yet they want a higher minimum wage and better retirement benefits? Those people are lefties mate

Ahh so the right wing appeal to the masses by promising worse retirement benefits and reduced wages?

Reply 5

AngeryPenguin

Original post by Andrew97

Given that it was started because of the fuel price rises, it obviously was against those. But once a mob gets worked up, it won't suddenly stop just because it was given what it wanted; it will keep on demanding more and more.

Reply 6

Underscore__

Original post by Joinedup

Ahh so the right wing appeal to the masses by promising worse retirement benefits and reduced wages?

No which is why the right doesn’t really appeal to the masses

Reply 7

Just my opinion

Far right anarchists?
Why AP, you cheeky little fake news spreader.😁

Reply 8

Just my opinion

From what I've seen on YT the legacy media are well underplaying whats happening.

Reply 9

London Sweetboi

Original post by AngeryPenguin

It is far more expensive to live in France than in England. The price inflation on goods in France has risen up to quite a lot. So naturally the working class are tired of being fed scraps while those on top are eating buffets. So naturally they will try to get as much as they can.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 10

ThomH97

A leader needs to bring his/her people with them. Riots on this scale are proof the leader has failed, is out of touch, and is in the wrong.

Discouraging people from doing something harmful makes sense, but if it's something they have no alternative for and the leader's not even trying to make a viable one, then that's on the leader.