The yellow jackets demanded the resignation of President Emmanuel Macaron, and some of them waved signs calling for France to leave the European Union. This came during a fresh wave of protests that began today across the country and French police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. French police arrested 343 people his morning ahead of the start of new protests and in anticipation of a new wave of riots. Authorities deployed about 89,000 police officers across the country. The Eiffel Tower, other tourist attractions and shops were closed to avoid looting.
Street seats were removed to avoid using metal rails as projectiles.
Some 8,000 police officers have been deployed in Paris to avoid a repeat of last Saturday's riots when rioters set fire to cars, looted shops on the famous Champs-Elysées, and smashed the Arc de Triomphe with a graffiti aimed at President Emmanuel Macaron.
Protests erupted in November over fuel taxes, which put extra pressure on household budgets.
Since then, demonstrations have turned into a widespread insurgency, sometimes violent. There is no official leader of the protest movement which makes it difficult to deal with.
Authorities say the protests have been hijacked by right-wing extremists and chaotic elements who insist on violence and provoke social unrest in direct defiance of Macron and the security forces.
However, McCron had to make his first major concession in his presidency by giving up the fuel tax. Macron's popularity has fallen in opinion polls.
Despite this concession, the Yellow Jackets continues to demand greater concessions from the government, including tax cuts, higher salaries, lower energy costs and even McCron's resignation.
McCron has not spoken publicly since Dan broke up on Saturday at the G20 summit in Argentina, but his office said he would deliver a speech to the nation at the weekend.
This is the biggest crisis facing the French president since his election 18 months ago, leaving Prime Minister Edward Philippe to deal with unrest and make concessions.
But he is under pressure to speak as his administration tries to regain the lead after three weeks of the worst unrest in France since the 1968 student revolution.
France is experiencing a new wave of protests
French police have arrested 343 people this morning ahead of a new wave of protests by the owners of "yellow jackets" across the country.
In anticipation of a new wave of riots, the authorities deployed about 89,000 policemen across the country, the Eiffel Tower, other tourist attractions and shops were closed to avoid looting, and street seats were removed to avoid the use of metal rails as projectiles.
Some 8,000 police officers have been deployed in Paris to avoid a repeat of last Saturday's riots when rioters set fire to cars, looted shops on the famous Champs-Elysées, and smashed the Arc de Triomphe with a graffiti aimed at President Emmanuel Macaron.
Protests erupted in November over fuel taxes, which put extra pressure on household budgets.
Since then, demonstrations have turned into a widespread insurgency, sometimes violent. There is no official leader of the protest movement which makes it difficult to deal with.
Authorities say the protests have been hijacked by right-wing extremists and chaotic elements who insist on violence and provoke social unrest in direct defiance of Macron and the security forces.
However, McCron had to make his first major concession in his presidency by giving up the fuel tax. Macron's popularity has fallen in opinion polls.
McCron has not spoken publicly since Dan broke up on Saturday at the G20 summit in Argentina, but his office said he would deliver a speech to the nation at the weekend. Despite this concession, the Yellow Jackets continues to demand greater concessions from the government, including tax cuts, higher salaries, lower energy costs and even McCron's resignation.
This is the biggest crisis facing the French president since his election 18 months ago, leaving Prime Minister Edward Philippe to deal with unrest and make concessions.
But he is under pressure to speak as his administration tries to regain the lead after three weeks of the worst unrest in France since the 1968 student revolution.