Paris court fines Yellow Vest protest leader

By Yusuf Ozcan</p> <p>PARIS (AA) – A Paris court sentenced a Yellow Vest leader €2,000 ($2,240) on Friday for organizing two unauthorized protests, according to local reports.</p> <p>Eric Drouet was found guilty of organizing the protests last December and this January.</p> <p>Drouet's lawyer, Kheops Lara, told the press he would appeal the court's decision.</p> <p>Drouet, a 34-year-old transport driver, and nearly 50 activists had gathered at Concorde Square, near Paris's Champs-Elysees, to commemorate those who were killed and injured on Jan. 2.</p> <p>Shortly afterwards, police detained Drouet along with other activists on the grounds that the demonstration was unauthorized.</p> <p>Drouet was also detained last December.</p> <p>Earlier, prosecutors opened an investigation into Drouet for allegedly encouraging protestors to damage the Elysee Palace. </p> <p>On Feb. 14, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning French authorities’ use of disproportionate violence against peaceful protests.</p> <p>Since last November, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests — dubbed the Yellow Vests — have gathered in major French cities to protest French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the deteriorating economic situation.</p> <p>Under pressure, Macron announced a rise in the minimum wage and scuttled the tax hikes.</p> <p>The protests grew into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making.</p> <p>In the protests, at least 11 people died, around 8,400 were detained, and over 2,000 were injured, and subsequently nearly 1,800 got prison sentences.</p> <p>*Writing by Dilara Hamit from Ankara