(VOVWORLD) - 10,000 French yellow vest protesters gathered in Paris early Saturday morning in the 18th straight weekend of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron.
 Firemen try to extinguish a fire set by yellow vest protestors in Paris on March 16, 2019. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
They threw smoke bombs and other objects at officers along the famed Champs-Elysees and started pounding on the windows of a police van, prompting riot police to retreat. Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, and Montpelier.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe visited the Champs-Elysees to show his support for riot police and firefighters. He condemned the violence, vowing to “severely punish” the radicals.