YELLOW Vest protesters swamped the Paris streets on Saturday over planned pension reforms where clashes broke out with police officers in riot gear.
Hundreds of protesters were seen marching and chanting through the streets of the French capital where they were seen setting fire to several rubbish bins, motorcycles before being met by a large number of heavily armoured police officers who were seen firing tear gas at the crowds to disperse them and made several arrests.
The protest is taking place after France noted an increase in the number of coronavirus infections across the country.
It also comes after the mandatory use of face masks in certain busier areas of Paris was established in August. The French government has limited the maximum number of participants to 5,000 for larger gatherings.
LYON UNREST
LYON was also rocked by unrest by the anti-government protesters as they demonstrated on Saturday.
Police were seen using tear gas to disperse the crowds. “We live really, in a repressive country. It’s horrible.” said one protester.
“Everything they tell us about COVID is a lie. Long before this, they already lied to us, but now it is unbearable. We have a dictator governing us. People don’t realize it yet, but they will,” the protester added.
The ‘Yellow Vests’ movement began as a grassroots citizen protest in November 2018 and quickly spread across mainland France, with participants demanding what they see as economic and social justice.
