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By Associated press
PARIS – French police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent protesters in Paris on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the capital and beyond and organized roadblocks to dispel anger which weighs on taxes on gasoline.
Thousands of police officers were deployed throughout the country to contain the eighth day of deadly demonstrations that began as anti-tax protests, but turned into a reprimand by President Emmanuel Macron and the police. perceived elitism of the French ruling class. Two people have been killed since 17 November in tragedies related to demonstrations.
Violent clashes on the Champs-Élysées, which ended on Saturday night, pitted the police against protesters who burned plywood, brandished placards bearing the inscription "Death to Taxes" and toppled a large vehicle.
At least 19 people, including four police officers, were slightly injured and one person was more seriously injured on the day of unrest in Paris, police said.
Macron replied in a very firm tweet: "Shame on those who attacked (the police) shame on those who were violent against other citizens … No room for this violence in the Republic."
Police said dozens of protesters were arrested for "throwing projectiles", among other things. At nightfall, the Champs-Elysees smoked and, on the Place de la Madeleine, burned scooters lay on the sidewalk like blackened shells.
"This will trigger a civil war and I, like most citizens, are all ready," said Benjamin Vrignaud, a 21-year-old protester from Chartres.
"They take everything from us, they rob us all," said Laura Cordonnier, 21.
The famous avenue was dotted with feathers of smoke and neon – because of the color of the vests, the so-called "yellow" protesters. French drivers are required to keep neon safety vests in their vehicles.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that 8,000 protesters had invaded the Champs-Elysees at the height of the demonstration, that there were nearly 106,000 protesters and 130 arrests in total in all the country.
Castaner denounced the far-right protesters whom he described as "rebels", accusing the president of the National Assembly, Marine Le Pen, for encouraging them.
But the Interior Ministry downplayed the magnitude of Saturday's protests by pointing out that around 280,000 people took part in last Saturday's protest.
The troubles are a major challenge for Macron, struggling in polls.
The leader, who only came to power last year, is angering protesters in the "yellow jacket" who accuse the centrist pro-business of elitism and indifference to the struggles of ordinary French.
Until now, Macron has stood firm and insisted that fuel tax increases are a necessary pain to reduce France's reliance on fossil fuels and to finance investments in renewable energies – a cornerstone of his country's reforms. He will defend new projects to facilitate the "energy transition" next week.
Paris has deployed nearly 3,000 security forces on Saturday, including in areas frequented by tourists, after an unauthorized attempt to parade last week on the presidential palace of the Elysee.
Police officials said a no-go zone around key areas, including the presidential palace and the National Assembly on the left bank of the Seine, has not been crossed.
But the authorities are struggling because the movement does not have a clear leader and has attracted a motley group of people with very different demands.
The anger is mainly due to the increase in the tax on diesel fuel, which has increased by 7 cents per liter (almost 30 cents US dollar per gallon) and will continue to increase over the next few years, according to Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Transport. The tax on gasoline must also increase by four cents. Currently, gasoline costs about 1.64 euro per liter in Paris (7.06 dollars per gallon), a little more than diesel.
The leader of the far left Jean-Luc Melenchon explained to BFMTV the historical importance of this issue in the Gallic mentality: "When the tax is no longer accepted, it is the beginning revolutions in France. "
