Protests in Paris turned violent once again as masked and hooded demonstrators clashed against police officers. Some of those attending the third “yellow vest” rally in the French capital in two weeks physically engaged in running battles against the police by picking up and hurling crowd barriers and other projectiles on and around the world famous Champs Elysees boulevard. Others erected their own barricades and set them alight in some of the streets adjacent to the Champs Elysees.
And several hundred yellow vests sat down under the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Elysees, singing La Marseillaise, France’s national anthem, and chanting, “Macron Resign!”
The iconic French monument was also vandalised, as it now presents a writing on the wall reading “yellow vest will triumph”.
Police tried to crush the riots using force, tear gas, water cannons and stun greanades.
Shocking pictures show war-like scenes, with the air filled with smoke, barricades built in iconic areas and cars being burned down.
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READ MORE: ‘He’s not listening!’ Macron under fire as majority of French SUPPORT mass fuel protests
Three policemen and seven protesters had been injured during the clashes, police spokeswoman Johanna Primevert said.
And 60 more protesters were arrested amid concerns violent far-right and far-left groups were infiltrating the “yellow vests” movement.
The movement is a spontaneous grassroots that initially saw people wearing yellow vests and take their outrage to the streets to protest against the announced fuel price rise, set to enter into force next year.
But it quickly turned into a widespread riot against Emmanuel Macron’s austerity policies, which many French people see as the main cause they can’t no longer make their ends meet.
People started gathering in central Paris this morning. In just a few hours, police estimated some 2,000 protesters were in the roads around the Champs, with rioters and peaceful protesters mixed together.
Police unions said across France there were some 31,000 protesters and 582 blockages.
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux conceded the Elysee doesn’t consider all those taking part to the rally violent demonstrators, as he told LCI television: “The thugs are a minority and have no place in these demonstrations.”
But even prominent activists within the movement denounced the “absurd” violence.
Among them there is Jacline Mouraud, who said: “What message do the yellow vests want to pass today? That we set France on fire, or find solutions? I find this violence absurd.”
However, many others believe this is the only way for French people to make their voices heard.
READ MORE: France fuel protests: Violence flares up as Emmanuel Macron refuses to back down
A retired yellow-vest protester said: “The government is not listening. Revolution cannot happen without violence.”
The so-called “gilets jaunes” are currently gathering in the French capital for the third time since the protests began in November.
The protests come as Mr Macron is attending the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
This is not the first time French police officers receive the order to crush “yellow vest” protests with violence.
Last month, Mr Macron promised France will be “inflexible” against those violently opposing to the government.
As protests spread outside France, he sent the army to the little French island of La Reunion.
He wrote on Twitter: The situation, which has been developing in Reunion since Saturday, is serious.
“We have taken efforts and will continue to do so — our servicemen will be mobilised starting from Thursday to restore public order.
“There will be a crackdown because we cannot tolerate the scenes that we have seen in the past few days.”
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