Emmanuel Macron to announce measures against ‘yellow vests’

Some 125,000 protesters still this Saturday, and violence, but in less proportion than a week ago: after a fourth day of mobilization slightly down the “yellow vests”, Emmanuel Macron will announce new measures in response to this crisis putting his quinquennium to the test.

According to the Prime Minister, “the time for dialogue is there” and “it is now necessary to rebuild national unity”, undermined by this unprecedented popular frenzy, born on social networks.

The president “will speak” – perhaps Monday – and “it will be up to him to propose measures” to allow “the whole of the French nation to meet and to be up to the stakes,” said Edouard Philippe after a visit to Beauvau at the end of the day.

Shots of tear gas on the edge of the Champs-Elysees, broken windows under Christmas lights and cars burned in Paris but also clashes and damage in Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille and again Nantes, and still blocks on the roads: Saturday’s images once again marked the spirits.

But they are out of proportion with the urban guerrilla scenes, the Arc de Triomphe and several upscale neighborhoods of the capital, which had been observed a week earlier and had stunned the world over.

The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (PS) however lamented during this act IV Saturday “scenes of chaos” and “immeasurable damage” for the economy and the image of the city. “Many French, especially traders, have experienced a new black Saturday,” said Laurent Wauquiez (LR).

There were 11,000 fewer demonstrators across the country than on 1 December. An “exceptional” device had been planned, with 89,000 law enforcement personnel deployed throughout the country, including 8,000 in Paris supported by 14 wheeled armored vehicles, deployed for the first time ever in the capital. Eiffel Tower, Louvre and many shops remained closed.

The controls had been multiplied before the rallies, and 1,385 people had been arrested in total at the end of the day. Some 975 police guards were registered.

According to a provisional national assessment of the Directorate General of Health, “179 injured people were supported throughout the territory by hospital medical teams.”

“To all the forces of the order mobilized today, thank you for the courage and the exceptional professionalism which you showed”, tweeted in the late evening Emmanuel Macron.

– New phase? –

In the evening, the Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner welcomed that “a stopping point (was) put to the escalation of the violence” and that the “dynamics of the breakers” was “broken” .

A thousand “yellow vests” also marched in Brussels, where 400 people were arrested and an officer injured.

From Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the “violence” of the French authorities. “Sad Day”, for US President Donald Trump, who felt that the movement of “yellow vests” was proof that the Paris agreement on climate “does not work”.

In parallel, and most of them quietly, thousands of people took part in climate marches in several cities, including a party wearing yellow vests, with slogans calling for fighting in the same breath against the “climate emergency” and the social emergency.

Recurring target of protesters, the coup of “Macron resignation”, the head of state, who has not spoken publicly since Saturday last week, remained for this new day of mobilization in the presidential palace, surrounded an impressive protective device. He left until then Edouard Philippe to the front, in front of the Parliament and the media.

The executive’s concessions, including the cancellation of the fuel tax increase, seem to have had the main effect of weakening the Prime Minister who defended a simple suspension of the increase, before being brutally disavowed. by the Elysée. Should we announce a social turning point or “stay the course” of reforms as until then?

The insubordinate France leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, again spoke on Saturday “the dissolution” of the National Assembly, which he says “approaches as a peaceful, reasonable and quiet” to the crisis. “Three quarters of the claims of yellow vests are in our program,” he also assured, while the movement is reluctant to any classification on the political chessboard.

LFI deputies, communists and socialists are due to file a motion of no confidence Monday against the government, which should be debated on Wednesday or Thursday but has no chance of being adopted.

From Belgium, the president of RN Marine Le Pen, who also wants a dissolution, asked Emmanuel Macron “strong answers” to the “suffering” of “yellow vests”.

Three and a half months of consultation will start next Saturday throughout France, with unions, local elected officials and “yellow vests”. The government is committed to identifying “just and effective accompanying measures”.