More than 5,000 police officers were deployed to the streets of the French capital on Saturday to monitor the ninth weekend of protests by the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) movement.

Volleys of tear gas and water cannons were used as scuffles broke out between small groups of protesters and police near the Arc de Triomphe.

Many of Paris' central districts were on lockdown in case of violence — security forces also had armored vehicles, dogs, and mounted officers stationed throughout Paris.

Dozens of banks, jewelry stores and other shops on the Champs-Elysees shopping street were boarded up for the day.

Reporter John Lichfield described those taunting and throwing stones at officers as looking like "hard-right youths rather than the provincial GJ's who made up most of the marchers earlier."

The protests in Paris took place close to where a massive gas explosion in a bakery killed two firefighters and a Spanish tourist and injured nearly 50 people earlier in the day.

Though most of Saturday's protests were peaceful, more than 115 people were arrested across France — including 74 in Paris — and almost a quarter of the national figure was detained overnight for carrying weapons.

Most protests across France were peaceful

Thousands still turn out

France's Interior Ministry said about 84,000 people had turned out across France to protest, 8,000 of them in Paris. That compares to 50,000 last Saturday, and more than 60,000 mobilized nationwide in mid-December. At the height of the protests, more than 150,000 people took to the streets in November.

The protests, named after the high-visibility jackets French drivers carry in their cars, have repeatedly witnessed clashes between demonstrators and police since they began in November in response to a fuel tax hike that President Emmanuel Macron has scrapped.

A small town in France

A few hundred protesters also clashed with police in the central French town of Bourges, where nearly 5,000 people gathered in defiance of a ban on public gatherings.

Bourges suddenly attracted its own protest movement after one of the yellow vest organizers told followers on Facebook the town was easy to reach and had a small police presence.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Mad at Macron Since his election in May 2016, French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity has fallen steadily thanks to unpopular financial policies, such as ending a wealth tax, and his public manner, which many see as aloof and arrogant. But it was his planned fuel-tax hike, an environmental measure, that really kicked things off. An online video saying Macron is "hounding drivers" goes viral in October.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Nationwide protests Online outrage is soon transferred to France's streets as more than 290,000 demonstrators don the high-visibility vests that drivers are required by law to keep in their cars. They block roads nationwide. The protests, coordinated via social media, have no structural organization, lack visible leadership and disavow union or party ties. At least one person is killed and more than 150 are arrested.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Clashes and destruction The Macron government says it won't back down, and further protests are scheduled. On November 24, some 100,000 people protest nationwide, with 8,000 in Paris, where violence and destruction breaks out. Police clash with protesters on the Champs-Elysees (above), using water canon and tear gas. Over €1 million ($1.1 million) in damage is reported.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Cracking under pressure The "yellow vest" protests are a massive problem for Macron. He initially refuses to budge on the fuel tax, then proposes adjustment in case of rising oil costs. Not satisfied, protesters hit French streets again on December 1, with violence and vandalism erupting in Paris. Macron calls a crisis meeting the next day and on December 5, amid threats of more protests, Macron ditches the fuel tax.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Paris on lockdown Macron, however, refuses to reinstitute the wealth tax and dismisses protesters' calls for his resignation. The "yellow vests" defy easy categorization, as protesters include both far-left and far-right supporters who opposed Macron's presidency bid. On December 8, nationwide violent protests take place again. Armored vehicles roll down Paris streets as much of the city goes on lockdown.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Speech to the nation On December 10, Macron responds to the 4-week-old protests with a televised speech to the nation from the Elysee Palace. More than 21 million viewers tune in as Macron strikes a conciliatory tone, saying he accepts his "share of responsibility" for the crisis. He introduces new financial measures, including a minimum-wage hike, tax-free overtime pay and tax exemptions for low-income retirees.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Neighboring discontent In the meantime, the "yellow vest" protests jump beyond France's borders to other countries. In Belgium, demonstrators expressed anger over high taxes and food prices, as well as low wages and pensions. Anti-riot police responded with water cannon after protesters threw rocks at the prime minister's office. In Germany, protesters also turned out in Berlin and Munich.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests NYE calm Protesters in France continue into late December, though turnout numbers fall. That doesn't discourage unofficial but high-profile protest leaders, who use social media to encourage continued demonstrations. On New Year's Eve, many revelers wear yellow vests as they take part in peaceful, "festive" gatherings in Paris.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests No end in 2019 Any hopes for calm in the new year were quickly dashed when on January 5 a fresh round of nationwide protests saw some 50,000 take part, an increase in turnout after the holiday lull but less than initial December gatherings. In Paris, some protesters clashed with police, setting fire to motorcycles and storming government buildings. Macron condemned the violence, saying, "Justice will be done."

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests 'Reclaiming' yellow vest protests Several hundred women wearing yellow vests marched through Paris on January 6 in an effort to restore a peaceful image to the "yellow vest" protests. At one point during the march, the women protesters fell to their knees in a minute of silence for the 10 people killed and many others injured since the start of the movement.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests 'Grand debate' In response to the "yellow vest" protests, Macron launched a series of town hall discussions where he said he would hear the concerns of the French. His first was on January 15 in the northern town of Grand Bourgtheroulde, where around 600 mayors from the Normandy region gathered to raise complaints from their constituents.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Rubber bullets do damage, too Prominent activist Jerome Rodrigues was injured in a confrontation on January 26. Rodrigues said he was hit in the eye by a police rubber bullet, an anti-riot weapon that has become highly controversial in France. The incident led to public outrage and was one of many severe injuries that protest groups blamed on the rubber bullets.

A timeline of France's 'yellow vest' protests Court rules rubber bullets fair game Following numerous injuries and outcry from the left-wing CGT trade union and the French Human Rights League, top French legal authority Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) refused on February 1 ban police from using the "sub-lethal" Defense Ball Launchers (LBDs) . The court said the risk of violence at the demonstrations made it "necessary to allow security forces to use these weapons."



In the well-heeled horseracing town of Chantilly just north of Paris, 1,000 or so protesters marched through the center before descending on the Hippodrome, where they delayed the start of a race, local media said.

Warning against violence

Ahead of the day's rallies, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner warned peaceful protesters that they would be "complicit" if they attended marches that turned violent.

New laws, including a register of rioters similar to those used to control football hooligans, are being planned.

However, without central leadership or a decision-making body, protesters might not concentrate in Bourges. Last month, a protest apparently planned for Versailles was quickly relocated to central Paris.

A gilets jaunes protest in Paris last weekend

Call for public debate

Macron's "great national debate" of town hall meetings, aimed at placating the protesters, is scheduled to start on Tuesday. Macron suggested the idea as a solution to complaints that citizens lack a say in debating and setting the political agenda.

Ecological transition, public finances, democracy, and the state's organization are intended to be the main themes of the consultations and, in a practice dating back to before the French Revolution, "grievance notebooks" have been placed in town halls for citizens to make complaints or suggestions.

But the initiative has already run into trouble after it was reported that the head of the national debates commission, Chantal Jouanno, was being paid €14,666 ($16,820) per month. She withdrew her participation, leaving the government to reorganize the discussions.

Motorway tolls in France can be too expensive for some workers

The outlook for the debates appears dim, with polling suggesting many people are uninterested in taking part in the town hall meetings or skeptical of how useful they will be.

Since November, protesters' grievances have broadened beyond the fuel tax increase to include the president's alleged elitism and the precarious living standards for many people across the country.

mm/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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