The Yellow Vest movement took to the streets across France for the 21st consecutive Saturday. The movement continues demands for president Macron leave office and for more significant changes to the government, including for the Constitution reformations to empower citizens to request and hold national referendums. Riot police attacked protesters and fired tear gas on them in cities around the country.
Protests took place in Paris, Rouen, Lyon, Dijon, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Bordeaux and Toulouse.
The yellow vest movement began in November, when hundreds of thousands of people mobilized across France, opposing a fuel tax hike. The movement then expanded with broad popular support. The yellow vests reject Macron’s policies and demand for the Macron government to leave office. The movement got its name because protesters wore the fluorescent safety vests drivers are required to have in their cars in France.
On Thursday, France’s Constitutional Council vetoed a measure, backed by Macron’s government, to empower local authorities to ban people from demonstrating. The council ruled that the law would give authorities “excessive latitude” and infringe on freedom of expression.
The council did increase powers of law enforcement to search people and their property and made it a crime for protesters to cover their faces, punishable by up to one year in prison.
Photo: “L1002696-Edit” by Guido van Nispen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
ANARCHIMEDIA 