A few hundred "yellow vest" demonstrators gathered in Paris to denounce police violence and continue their protest against President Emmanuel Macron and his economic reform agenda. But turnout was lower on the 29th straight weekend of protests. RNA - Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said on Friday, May 31, that policemen and gendarmes who had used "unfounded" or "disproportionate" force on "yellow vest" protesters will face trial.
In January, French police came under heavy fire over the use of non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets and tear gas after photos of protesters suffering gruesome head injuries circulated on social media.
United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet in March urged France to conduct a full investigation into the excessive use of force against the protesters.
The protests are named after the high-visibility jackets worn by participants and began in opposition to fuel tax increases. They have hampered Macron's efforts to push his reform timetable and forced him into costly concessions.
847/940