Frightening images saw the army and riot police surround the giant tanks released by Mr Macron in an attempt to rid French cities of violent protests against his government. A French journalist tweeted a picture of the tanks with the caption: “Protesters are pushed back to the Canal du Midi.” Mr Macron, 41, announced days ago he would use his army to battle the protesters, who have been setting France on fire and vandalising quaint restaurants and cafes and even stealing guns from police since the end of November last year. General Bruno Le Ray, who oversees the counter-terror “Sentinelle” operation in the Paris region, told France Info radio on Friday.
He said: “The soldiers have different courses of action to tackle a range of threats, which include opening fire… But they are perfectly capable of appreciating the nature of the threat and of responding in a proportionate manner.”
Today is the 19th consecutive weekend of protests by those in Yellow Vests.
Despite attempts by the movement themselves to end the violence after nine people were killed in the early stages of the chaos last year, they continue to clash with riot police who have used tear gas and tasers in many cases before arresting some demonstrators.
Mr Macron, the target for protesters, hit back and banned marches and demonstrations along the Champs-Élysées avenue, where his government office is.
This was after he attempted to calm their anger by offering them sweeteners of benefits and higher wages, which only backfired by costing the french economy millions of euros.
It also landed him in hot water with the EU after impacting his fiscal budget.
Initially, protests began due to outrage over Mr Macron’s 23 percent fuel hike.
Demonstrations, which saw famous French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe vandalised, then spilled into other EU nations such as Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.
The movement has even been seen in Britain, with Leave supporters taking to the streets in outrage over Brexit and Prime Minister Theresa May’s controversial deal.