Act 14 of the “Yellow Vests” had three months of mobilizations in France

New mobilization of yellow vests this Saturday for the Act 14 of the movement with demonstrations throughout France. The Interior Ministry has counted 41,500 demonstrators in France, 5,000 in Paris. As every week since the beginning of the movement, these figures are disputed by the “yellow vests”.

This Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in several cities of France, during a “act 14” relatively quiet in Paris, but marked by new clashes in Toulouse and Bordeaux.
26 people were arrested in Paris and, among them, 15 were placed in custody in view of the Paris prosecutor.

In Paris, a crowded crowd of several thousand people left the Place de l’Etoile around noon to join a few hours later the Esplanade des Invalides, which was evacuated late afternoon. Eric Drouet, figure of the movement condemned Friday to a month suspended prison for “organization of demonstrations without prior declaration”, had taken part in the Parisian procession.

After brief face-to-face with the police, the “yellow vests” have dispersed, some joining the Champs-Elysees in the early evening shouting, “Macron resignation”.

It was not until around 8:30 pm that most of them left the famous avenue, sometimes promptly evacuated by the police.

“This is not the end, it will be the end when Macron has heard us, that he will have made us democracy,” said Jerome Rodrigues, become a symbol of police violence since he lost an eye late January of the Bastille.

This is a sad scene that was filmed on the sidelines of the Paris demonstration. The philosopher and academician Alain Finkielkraut has been insulted and whistled in the Montparnasse district, according to videos broadcast on social networks and which sparked a wave of indignation within the political class. Many denouncing antisemitic remarks.

“Barre toi, dirty Zionist shit”, “big shit Zionist”, “we are the people”, “France it is ours”, shouted several demonstrators who parade boulevard du Montparnasse, and who had just seen the academician, according to a video broadcast by Yahoo! News. “I felt an absolute hatred, and unfortunately, this is not the first time,” Alain Finkielkraut responded to the Journal du dimanche.

“The son of Polish émigrés who became a French academician, Alain Finkielkraut is not only an eminent man of letters but the symbol of what the Republic allows everyone,” Emmanuel Macron reacted on Twitter, adding that:
“The anti-Semitic insults he has been subjected to are the absolute denial of who we are and what makes us a great nation, and we will not tolerate them.”

Other cities have experienced greater tension at the end of the event, including Bordeaux, another bastion of this movement that weakens the government and forced it to launch a major debate.

In Toulouse, 4000 people according to a police source claimed their determination behind a banner “Only death will stop us”. The first clashes began at 4:30 pm and continued late in the afternoon. Eight people were arrested, according to the prefecture.

In Rouen, four “yellow vests” were slightly injured by a car that tried to split the procession. The driver, who was with his wife and baby, was blocked by protesters, according to a police source.

The demonstration in Nantes, which took part 1600 protesters according to a police source, was enamelled incidents with throwing pavers, bottles and rockets, according to the prefecture. Fourteen people were arrested.

While in Lyon, several thousand demonstrators had gathered in the center, “yellow vests” were trying to block traffic on the A7 motorway, causing traffic difficulties.

On Twitter, the President of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand condemned the “sacking” of the permanence of the MP for the Sarthe Damien Pichereau, on the sidelines of the demonstration of “yellow vests” at Le Mans.

The demonstrations should continue as of 17h, with a new “yellow night” scheduled on the Place de la République. A static gathering essentially, with the theme of the Citizen’s Initiative Referendum and anti-Semitism. The processions will also start in the region in Lyon, Marseille, Boulogne sur Mer or Nice.

Events that will also continue this Sunday, February 17, is the novelty of this 14th day of action of “yellow vests”. They will rendezvous at 11 am at the Arc de Triomphe, towards the Champ-de-Mars with a course including the Ministry of Labor le Medef and the Wall of Peace.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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