More than 50 people were detained in the central French Ile-de-France region on Saturday during the fifth weekend of the so-called yellow vest protests, local media reported on, citing the Paris police prefecture.
A new ‘yellow vest’ rally began on Saturday morning in the center of Paris with more than 1,000 protesters coming to the streets.
According to French daily newspaper 20 Minutes, 52 people were detained in the central French Ile-de-France region as at 10:30 am local time (09:30 GMT), while 15 of them were arrested during the pre-screening at the train stations and road checkpoints.
France Info broadcaster reported on 58 people arrested in the Ile-de-France region.
A Sputnik correspondent reported that the Paris police used tear gas to disperse the demonstration near the Arc de Triomphe, an access to which was cut off by the police. After that, the chanting crowd went to the Elysee Palace, the area around which was also sealed off by the police.
The wave of the so-called yellow vest protests — named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers — started in France in mid-November. The French government has scrapped its planned hike in diesel taxes that sparked the protests, but the yellow vests have since morphed into a broader movement against government policies and rising living costs.
The rallies have been marked by violent clashes with police officers, who have used tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters.
