By Reuters
NANTES, France (Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators faced police in a tense stand-off in the French city of Nantes on Saturday as revived “yellow vest” protests against the government of President Emmanuel Macron took place across the country.
A molotov cocktail explodes in front of a French gendarme during a demonstration on Act 44 (the 44th consecutive national protest on Saturday) of the yellow vests movement in Nantes, France, September 14, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Police responded with tear gas after some protesters threw projectiles. A spokesman with the local prefecture said 21 people had been arrested.
Television footage showed groups of black-clad protesters trying to break into shops, while police trucks carrying water cannon were seen arriving on scene.
The Gilets Jaunes (yellow vest) protests, named after motorists’ high-visibility jackets, began over fuel tax increases but morphed into a sometimes violent revolt against Macron and a government they see as out of touch.
The president has sought to ease tensions with 17 billion euros ($18.82 billion) of countermeasures to boost the monthly minimum wage, remove some taxes, and offer relief to poor retirees. But he faces a new round of anger with a long-awaited reform that seeks to merge France’s 42 different pension systems into a single points-based system.
Parisian commuters faced travel misery on Friday as metro workers went on strike over plans to reduce their retirement privileges.
A molotov cocktail explodes in front of a French gendarme during a demonstration on Act 44 (the 44th consecutive national protest on Saturday) of the yellow vests movement in Nantes, France, September 14, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Police responded with tear gas after some protesters threw projectiles. A spokesman with the local prefecture said 21 people had been arrested.
Television footage showed groups of black-clad protesters trying to break into shops, while police trucks carrying water cannon were seen arriving on scene.
The Gilets Jaunes (yellow vest) protests, named after motorists’ high-visibility jackets, began over fuel tax increases but morphed into a sometimes violent revolt against Macron and a government they see as out of touch.
The president has sought to ease tensions with 17 billion euros ($18.82 billion) of countermeasures to boost the monthly minimum wage, remove some taxes, and offer relief to poor retirees. But he faces a new round of anger with a long-awaited reform that seeks to merge France’s 42 different pension systems into a single points-based system.
Parisian commuters faced travel misery on Friday as metro workers went on strike over plans to reduce their retirement privileges.