For the first time in months, the ‘Yellow Vests’ have this Saturday resumed their protest activities on the streets of Paris. The sizeable march quickly descended into chaos, scuffles with police and numerous arrests.
Following a pause for summer holidays and Covid-19 lockdown, the signature ‘gilets jaunes’ have also planned marches in Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Nice, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg.
In Paris, throngs of Yellow Vests began amassing in the capital’s center, with police expecting thousands of protesters to take part. Two demonstrations have been authorized by local prefectures, one near the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Bourse, and another near Place Wagram.
On arrive… #giletsjaunes#12septembrepic.twitter.com/dHzl0OGV5a
The procession that set off from the Place Wagram saw people chanting slogans and handing out leaflets listing the movement’s grievances, including demands for increases in the minimum wage, retirement pay, and other social benefits.
The situation became tenser when scuffles broke out, prompting law enforcers to use tear gas and to make arrests en masse. By Saturday afternoon, at least 200 people had been detained, with this number likely to rise as the day progresses.
