Paris ‘yellow vest’ protests

During a demonstration in Paris by at least 10,000 “yellow vest” protesters on March 16, shops were vandalized and fires were started around the Champs-Élysées. Near the Arc de Triomphe, protesters were filmed throwing cobblestones at police, who used high-pressure water hoses to disperse them.

The response to protesters by police was criticized by Paris’ mayor, who said they needed to respond to protesters with more force. After the March 16 protests, Paris’ chief of police was fired.

Yellow vest protests, which began due to a now-reversed rise in fuel taxes, have been ongoing throughout France since November 2018.