More than 1,300 were arrested and dozens injured after violent anti-government protests engulfed France — here’s how the clashes unfolded

Associated Press/Rafael Yaghobzadeh

• Yellow vest protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, in what quickly devolved into violent clashes with police.
• The demonstrators began by protesting a planned fuel tax hike weeks ago, but participants have continued even after the French government canceled the increase.
• The protesters continue to be outraged over French President Emmanuel Macron, economic inequality, and worsening living standards.

For the fourth weekend in a row, yellow vest protesters took to the streets across France to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron, high taxes, and economic inequality.

The weekly protests have steadily grown more violent, and French officials said by the end of Saturday, dozens were injured and hundreds arrested.

Thousands of police officers were deployed to control the riots, eventually firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and repelling demonstrators with water cannons.

Here’s how the clashes unfolded:

The so-called “Yellow Vest” movement was first sparked weeks ago, when protestors began demonstrating against a planned fuel tax increase.

Associated Press/Claude Paris

Many of the demonstrators are working-class or impoverished residents of France.

Associated Press/Rafael Yaghobzadeh

In response to the growing outrage and violence, Macron eventually backed down and canceled the fuel tax increase on Wednesday.

Associated Press/Michel Euler

Source: The New York Times

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• Meet Nick Ayers, the leading candidate to take over for John Kelly as White House chief of staff
• Trump mocks Emmanuel Macron as rioters set Paris ablaze in a second week of anti-government protests
• Everything Michael Cohen told Mueller about the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, according to the memo that could land Cohen a ‘substantial’ prison sentence