‘Yellow vest’ returns

Thousands of “yellow vest” protesters returned to the streets of France yesterday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s policies, despite disagreement in their ranks on how to move the movement forward. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to push back protesters at Place de la Bastille in Paris, one of the regular protest sites, as some demonstrators threw stones from a building site.

The local prefecture reported 223 arrests in Paris. Interior ministry estimated at 2 pm (1300 GMT) numbers for the 11th week of protests were at 22,000 across France, compared to 27,000 at the same time last Saturday. In Paris, the official count was 2,500 demonstrators against 7,000 the previous weekend.

There were clashes too in the southern city of Montpellier, where a police officer was injured by “a pyrotechnic device” said a statement from the local prefecture. The weekend’s protests against Macron’s tax and social policies came as divisions appeared among the yellow-vests -- named after the high-visibility vests they wear -- as to where to take the movement.