Yellow vest protests continue to challenge President Macron
(Baonghean.vn) - Thousands of people in the "yellow vest" movement continued to protest on the streets of Paris and other cities on January 26, leading to clashes with police. Protesters continued to demand that President Emmanuel Macron appease the discontent among the masses.
 |
| “Yellow vest” protests continue to challenge President Macron (Source: SCMP) |
This is the 11th consecutive week of anti-government protests. According to the Interior Ministry, 69,000 people took to the streets, including 4,000 in Paris.
Protesters wearing fluorescent vests took to the streets in November to protest rising fuel taxes. The protests have since expanded into a full-blown uprising against the government, drawing tens of thousands more each week.
In Paris, it has become a common sight every weekend to see protesters descending the Champs-Elysees before converging on Bastille Square. In the southwest, minor clashes have also occurred in Bordeaux and Toulouse, the epicenter of the protests.
"I firmly condemn the acts of violence and destruction that continued on January 26, both in Paris and elsewhere, by vandals disguised as 'yellow vests,'" French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner wrote on his personal Twitter page.
However, he also announced that an investigation into the police had been launched, following reports of protesters being injured in Bastille.
The clashes during this protest are insignificant compared to the violence in December - the darkest images in decades in Paris.
To calm public discontent, President Macron this month launched a series of public debates and promised to introduce remedies.
The "yellow vest" movement emerged in late October to protest France's increase in fuel taxes, part of President Macron's efforts to pursue a clean energy policy.
