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Emmanuel Macron said the "battle scenes" in the center of Paris between police and protesters over the weekend could disturb foreigners.
At a meeting of the government, the French president told ministers on Monday that the government should react after images were relayed by police firing tear gas and water cannons at protesters who erected barricades. , lit fires and destroyed restaurants and shops on the Champs-Elysees.
France was still uninterested Monday after the clashes, aroused by anger over rising fuel taxes. Clean-up operations continued on what France calls "the most beautiful avenue in the world", with municipal authorities mobilizing 200 additional workers to repair the damage to streets and buildings.
Traders whose windows were broken and marked with graffiti during what was to be a peaceful demonstration of the yellow vests (yellow vests), was hoping for a busy weekend after lighting up the famous Champs-Elysees Christmas lights last week.
Instead, they were forced to close their stores when the street turned into a battlefield when a small number of protesters built barricades between themselves and the police and set fire to them.
"Do not underestimate the impact of these images of the Champs-Élysées […] with battle scenes broadcast by the media in France and abroad, "government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told a news conference, citing Macron's remarks. "Behind this anger, there is obviously something deeper and to which we must respond, because this anger, these anxieties have existed for a long time," said Griveaux.
BFM TV reported that French intelligence services identified 80 to 120 right-wing sympathizers at the heart of the violence, while other media claimed that tags and logos on the scene suggested far-left movements and anarchist organizations.
Officials said it was too early to establish the cost of the damage, but it is estimated that they could reach 1.5 million euros.
Stimulated by rising fuel prices, the yellow vests The movement has widely expressed dissatisfaction with Macron and his centrist government, considered disconnected from ordinary people. Ministers said that there would be no turnaround on fuel tax increases, which are part of environmental measures. Macron is expected to respond to the protests in a speech on Tuesday.
Paris police chief Michel Delpuech said the military had used 5,000 rounds of tear gas, "more than a minute per minute, which had never been seen before", while that fire departments have extinguished a hundred fires. The police arrested 103 people, including a handful of minors; 45 were charged and must appear before a judge.
Thirty-one people were injured in the clashes, 24 protesters and seven policemen. A protester was accused of throwing metal nuts on the police, leaving an officer on the verge of losing an eye. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, as well as a prison guard carrying a hammer during his arrest at the protest.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner blamed "seditious" and "ultra-right" hooligans for having hijacked the yellow vests Police said the arrested were mainly young men with no criminal record, many of whom came from outside Paris.
"We know that this is a very small minority, which for several years, each time is committed to demonstrations to break everything," said Emmanuel Grégoire, Mayor of Paris.
Officials reported more than 106,000 yellow vests Protested Saturday across France, about half of protesters the previous week had killed two people. Reports that new demonstrations are scheduled in Paris on 1 December have been denied by unofficial representatives of the government. yellow vestswho do not have an official leader or organization.
In Italy, a protest group inspired by the yellow vests and unveiled on Facebook on Saturday gathered thousands of fans online. Alberto Nardozzi, who runs the market stalls in Turin and launched the Italian protest group, said Brussels was at the center of his anger.
"We are inspired by the French yellow vest, "he said." But we are motivated by other problems. "Unlike the French, we support our government, we protest against Europe, we want Europe to interfere. more with Italian politics. "
Nardozzi said his group, which was planning a big rally in January, would oppose the so-called "Bolkestein" directive, which liberalized cross-border services in the EU's internal market, as well as toll taxes for the EU. businesses and highways.
"Brussels hurt us," he said. "Otherwise, I am convinced that Italy would do well. The time has come to put an end to austerity in Europe, which has created poverty among Italians. "
Additional report by Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo
