Alwaght- French police clashed with Yellow Vest protesters who tried to march towards the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Saturday, the 24th consecutive weekend of protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s policies.
Around 2,000 demonstrators gathered near European Union institutions in Strasbourg, with organizers hoping to make the protest international by marching to the parliament building a month ahead of EU-wide parliamentary elections. Police fired tear gas to push back the Yellow Vests.
Previous yellow vest protests in the eastern city have mostly been peaceful. But concerned about the violence and destruction of public buildings that have marked some yellow vest demonstrations in other parts of the country, authorities had banned protests and barricaded the neighborhood where the parliament and other EU institutions are located.
French television showed some hooded protesters throwing stones and other objects back at the police.
The Interior Ministry said around 23,600 protesters took part in marches across the country, including 2,600 in Paris.
The protests, named after motorists’ high-visibility yellow jackets, began over fuel tax increases but morphed into a revolt against politicians and a government they see as out of touch.
Many in the grassroots movement, which lacks a leadership structure, have said Macron’s proposals this week did not go far enough and lacked details.
