'Yellow vest' protests hit Macron's birthplace, other cities

Thousands of “yellow vest” protesters have taken to the streets across France for the 28th consecutive week, with clashes reported between police and people in Paris and the northern city of Amiens.

News ID: 445077

Date: 27 May 2019 - 18:27

RNA - Thousands of people flocked to the streets and while the marches were mostly peaceful, police in Paris used tear gas against the protesters.

Police in Amiens, hometown of President Emmanuel Macron, clashed with demonstrators after a group pelted security forces with stones, attacked local bank branches and set fire to rubbish cans.

The clashes led to the detention of 27 people in the northern French city, the local police chief's office said.

Several hundred protesters also clashed with police in and around the Place de la Republique in downtown Paris.

Similar rallies were held in other French cities such as Lille, Toulouse and Boudreaux.

The protests, named after motorists’ high-visibility yellow jackets, began in mid-November last year over fuel tax increases but morphed into a nationwide movement against government policies.

The yellow vests coalition includes numerous anti-Europe protesters, many of whom are calling for a 'Frexit', which would see France leave the EU.

Thousands of police and soldiers are drafted into the French capital every Saturday, when there is regular fighting and fires being lit.

The situation is now so extreme that vast areas of Paris - including the district around the Elysee Palace - are shut off every weekend.

Macron has pledged more money for rural areas, but he is still regularly described as a "president of the rich” who is primarily interested in supporting big businesses.

He has already scrapped wealth taxes, and made it far easier for companies to hire and fire employees.

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