By Can Erozden</p> <p>PARIS (AA) – The estimated damage caused by the last weekend’s protests held by “yellow vests” in French capital Paris against fuel taxes was €3-4 million ($3.4-4.5 million), local media reported on Monday. </p> <p>Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, told France 3, a local broadcaster, that she estimates that Saturday's riots costed Paris “between $3-4 million euros.”</p> <p>Thousands of "yellow vest" protesters had gathered in Paris and several other cities to protest French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial fuel tax.</p> <p>Demonstrators, who generally live in rural areas due to high rents in the cities, called on Macron to cut fuel taxes and make economic arrangements to ease their lives.</p> <p>French police on Saturday cracked down on protesters around the famous Champs-Elysees in Paris with tear gas and water cannons.</p> <p>Demonstrators set a large number of vehicles and trash cans ablaze and pelted stones and bottles at the police.</p> <p>In the riots, at least two people have been killed, while 1,043 others — including 222 security forces — were injured, and as many as 1,424 persons were arrested.</p> <p>According to a recent survey, 84 percent of French people — mostly from the middle-income group — support the protests.</p> <p>Over the last year, fuel prices in France have risen more than 20 percent.</p> <p> </p> <p><br>
- Macron puts off Serbia visit
Meanwhile, Macron has postponed his visit to Serbia over the “yellow vests ” riots in France, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Monday.
Macron was expected to go to Serbia on Dec. 5 but he postponed his visit to the Balkan country.
In a news conference, Vucic said Macron told him over the phone that he has postponed his visit to Belgrade over the ongoing fuel tax protests in France.