Paris police use tear gas, water cannons on tax protesters

Large-scale protests continued in Paris for a second consecutive weekend Saturday, with demonstrators registering their anger over fuel tax hikes and French President Emmanuel Macron's tenure more broadly. This time, the "yellow vest" protesters were met with an aggressive police presence, including use of tear gas and water cannons.

Parisian police estimated 8,000 protesters were on site, contained by some 3,000 police officers. Officials told The Associated Press six arrests were made, though no one was injured in the demonstration.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner claimed the demonstration was influenced by extremists from "the far right." "Their freedom of expression will be guaranteed," he said, "but it must not be exercised to the detriment of security, public order, and the right of everybody to come and go."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

More than 15,000 demonstrators are estimated to have assembled elsewhere in France Saturday. Last weekend's protests were far larger, with around 250,000 people turning out around the country.