Thousands march against Yellow Vests in Paris

By Yusuf Ozcan</p> <p>PARIS (AA) – Thousands of people took to the streets in Paris on Sunday to protest weeks of anti-government demonstrations by the Yellow Vests movement.</p> <p>The group — called itself the Red Scarves — gathered in Nation Square in Paris and marched to Bastille Square, chanting “enough” and “end the violence”. </p> <p>Laurent Soulie, a 51-year-old aeronautics engineer, told reporters on behalf of the group that the anger of the Yellow Vests was understood and legitimate, however, the violence during the protests was unacceptable.</p> <p>More than 10,000 people, most of them wearing red scarves, attended the march, according to Paris police. </p> <p> </p> <p>- Yellow Vest protests</p> <p>The Yellow Vest protests, which started in reaction to fuel tax hikes and evolved into a protest against French President Emmanuel Macron, have continued despite the government’s call for them to halt.</p> <p>Since Nov. 17, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests– dubbed the Yellow Vests — have gathered in major French cities, including Paris, to protest Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the country’s deteriorating economic situation.</p> <p>Demonstrators held protests blocking roads as well as the entrances and exits to gas stations and factories across the country.</p> <p>Under pressure, Macron announced a rise in the minimum wage and scuttled the tax hikes.</p> <p>Since then, however, the protests have grown into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making.</p> <p>At least 10 people have died, around 6,000 have been detained and over 2,000 others have been injured in the protests.