PARIS, Sept 21, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – More than 7,000 police officers are to be
deployed for rallies in Paris on Saturday over fears that yellow vest
protesters and their radical, anarchist “black blocs” could try to infiltrate
a march against climate change in the French capital.
The yellow vest movement erupted 10 months ago and blindsided President
Emmanuel Macron, who protesters accused of being out of touch with the needs
of ordinary French people.
Their weekly demonstrations prompted Macron to loosen the state’s purse
strings to the tune of nearly 17 billion euros ($18.8 billion) in wage boosts
and tax cuts for low earners, but tapered off over the summer.
Fresh yellow vest rallies are planned for Saturday but it remains to be
seen whether the movement will regain the momentum of the winter and early
spring, when the protests often descended into violent clashes with security
forces, especially in Paris.
Macron on Friday called for “calm”, saying that while “it’s good that
people express themselves”, they should not disrupt a climate protest and
cultural events also due to go ahead on Saturday.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement has said 7,500 police would be deployed
for Saturday’s rallies in Paris — numbers on a par with the peak of the
yellow vest protests in December and March.
Key yellow-vest figure Jerome Rodrigues has billed Saturday’s protest as “a
revelatory demonstration”, claiming “many people are going to come to Paris”.
But officials have again outlawed protests on the Champs-Elysees and other
areas in the heart of the capital, where previously protesters had ransacked
and set fire to luxury shops and restaurants.
Some demonstrators in January even used a forklift to break down the doors
of a government ministry.
The police have also been criticised for being heavy-handed in clashes with
hardcore anti-capitalist “black bloc” groups blamed for much of the violence
that has accompanied the demonstrations.
Saturday coincides with the annual European Heritage Days weekend, when
public and private buildings normally off-limits to the public are open to
visitors.
After attracting 282,000 people nationwide on the first day of protests
last November, yellow-vest protest participation had fallen sharply by the
spring, and only sporadic protests were seen over the summer.
Macron said in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday that the
movement had been “very good for me” as it had made him listen and
communicate better.
“My challenge is to listen to people much better than I did at the very
beginning,” the president said.