World
23:08, 15-Dec-2018
France 'yellow vest' protesters defy government to gather in Paris
Updated
22:16, 18-Dec-2018
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France's "yellow vest" protesters have gathered in central Paris for a fifth consecutive weekend of demonstrations in defiance of calls by the French government to stay at home.
President Emmanuel Macron, facing the biggest crisis of his presidency, announced a series of concessions on Monday to defuse the explosive "yellow vest" movement which swelled up from rural and small-town France last month.
The last three Saturdays have been marked by violent demonstrations, but by midday on Saturday the situation appeared calm in Paris and the number of protesters was down amid an overwhelming show of force from police.
Protesters clash with police forces during a yellow vest demonstration near the Opera Garnier in Paris, December 15, 2018. /VCG Photo
Protesters clash with police forces during a yellow vest demonstration near the Opera Garnier in Paris, December 15, 2018. /VCG Photo
Around 60 people had been arrested in the capital by 11:00 am (1000 GMT) compared with 500 at the same time last weekend, according to figures released by the local government.
In Belgium near the border with France, a driver died on Friday evening after hitting a truck which had slowed down due to a blockade by "yellow vest" protesters, bringing the number of people who have died in incidents linked to the anti-government protests in France to seven.
More than 1,400 people have been injured since the protests began on November 17.
(Top image: A protester wearing a yellow vest and holding a flower stands in front of the police during a demonstration in Paris, France, December 15, 2018. /VCG Photo)
Source(s): AFP