French police fire tear gas at protesters on ‘yellow vests’ anniversary
French riot police have fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the country’s capital Paris on the first anniversary of anti-government "yellow vests" demonstrations.
Violence erupted on Saturday when police intervened to prevent hundreds of protesters form preparing to march in northwestern Paris and block the city’s ring road.
Paris police said 24 people had been arrested during the clashes.
The yellow vest protests erupted across France on November 17 last year in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s economic plans. Ever since, the country has been the scene of street rallies, which on many occasions prompted security forces’ violent repression and mass arrests.
The protests forced the government to put its reform program on pause and refocus on cutting taxes for lower-income households, after he eased the tax burden on businesses and investors in Macron’s first two years in office.
Two-thirds of the French, according to a recent survey, believe that the president has been doing little to improve their quality of life in his first two years in office.
The poll, conducted by the French news channel BFMTV, shows 55 percent of respondents said they were “disappointed” by his actions as president.
Some 71 percent of those polled said that Macron’s tough social and economic policies had not helped “transform” France as promised.
Some 62 percent also see Macron’s election in May 2017 as a “negative” event.
Outrage in France as MP proposes bill to ban criticism of Israel
France's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza
Netanyahu lashes out at Macron over call for ‘arms embargo’ on Israel
Debunking claims by Western pundits about accuracy of Iranian ballistic missiles
‘House of horrors’: Israeli journalist reveals torture of Palestinian inmates
Why Trump’s return is of little consequence to Iran
VIDEO | Lebanese expats urge South African pressure on Israel
Trump says Haley, Pompeo won’t join new administration
Palestine Action defeats Elbit
In numbers: 400 days of Israeli-American genocidal war on Gaza Strip
VIDEO | Press TV's News Headlines
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
