Marseille, October 17 (askanews) – In France, it's the day of the "Yellow Vest" protests, joined by high school students, university students, climate activists, and trade unions. The call to demonstrate on October 17 has circulated widely on social media. A dedicated website has announced around 1.500 initiatives, including demonstrations and blockades, across France.
Data attests to the intense online activity surrounding the movement, but it doesn't allow us to predict with certainty the number of people who will actually take to the streets. In Paris, where authorities expect between 60.000 and 110.000 protesters, police have fired tear gas, and more than 60 people have already been arrested. Tension and clashes have also occurred in the squares of Lyon and Marseille. Throughout France, around 500 initiatives are being planned and over 90 demonstrations are being organized, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's entourage.
The latter, fearing possible "uncontrolled actions," warned that "blockades affecting strategic roads or essential infrastructure will not be tolerated." "Should serious incidents of violence occur in large cities and on the fringes of demonstrations," he threatened yesterday in an interview with France 2, "the police may use stun grenades." Meanwhile, numerous videos on social media show Parisian shop windows protected by large wooden panels.
For many shopkeepers, today's demonstrations evoke painful memories of previous "yellow vest" demonstrations, marked by devastation and damage. In Paris, particularly on the Champs-Elysees, some shopkeepers have therefore chosen to secure their shop windows as a precaution, even though the march is not scheduled to pass through here. (Continued)
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