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French PM seeks 'unity' as 'yellow vest' arrests cross 1,700
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IANS | 10 Dec, 2018
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Sunday vowed to "restore
national unity" after violence during the weekend forced police to use
tear gas and rubber bullets against the "yellow vest" demonstrators, who
protested against fuel tax rises and high living costs, leading to
over 1,700 arrests.
However, the violence on Saturday that was the fourth one was not on the same level as the week earlier, the BBC reported.
Discussions
with peaceful protesters "must continue", Philippe said, adding "No tax
should jeopardise our national unity. We must now rebuild that national
unity through dialogue, through work, and by coming together."
He
said President Emmanuel Macron, who many protesters felt should stand
down, would soon "put forward measures to foster dialogue".
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner praised police, who had been deployed in force, for containing much of the unrest.
Castaner,
who warned that the number of arrests increased due to the violence in
Paris and some other cities added that 118 demonstrators were known to
have been injured along with 17 police officials.
During protests on December 1, 201 civilians and 284 police personnel were injured amid scenes of urban guerrilla tactics.
French
authorities deployed a huge police force and used water cannons, tear
gas and, for the first time in 40 years, a dozen armoured cars.
The
first clashes between police and protesters occurred last Saturday
morning in the Champs Elysees, the Yellow Vests' main meeting point.
With
a view to prevention, and following the December 1 vandalism, most
businesses in the threatened areas remained closed, starting with the
big department stores.
Also shut were the monuments and museums of Paris like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
In addition, from the early hours, 36 subway stations remained closed.
Other disturbances took place around the country, including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseilles, Lyon and Nantes.
Demonstrations
by the Yellow Vests movement began as a protest against increased taxes
on fuel planned for 2019, a ruling that was annulled this week by the
government.
Many still demand the resignation of Macron as they
continue to demand an increase in social spending on pensions and
education, slashing taxes, improving infrastructure, curtailing
immigration and ending the privatisation of public services, among many
other issues.
In a tweet late on Saturday, Macron thanked the
security forces for their "courage and exceptional professionalism"
against the "gilets jaunes" protesters.
The yellow vests are
so-called because they have taken to the streets wearing the
high-visibility yellow clothing that is required to be carried in every
vehicle by French law.
Over the past few weeks, the social media
movement has morphed from a protest over fuel prices to a leaderless
spectrum of interest groups and differing demands, the BBC said.
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