Paris awoke on Sunday to smouldering fires, broken windows and looted stores following the 18th consecutive Saturday of Yellow Vest protests.
Around 200 people were arrested according to BFM TV, while about 80 shops near the iconic Champs Elysees had been damaged and/or looted according to AFP, citing Champs Elysees committee president Jean-Noel Reinhardt.
🇫🇷#GiletsJaunes #ActeXIII #Acte18 The devastation at the #ChampsElyssées #Paris pic.twitter.com/kaAdndFIhw— AP Photos (@ApPhotos) March 17, 2019
WATCH: This is the aftermath of the 18th straight weekend of #GiletJaunes protests in Paris pic.twitter.com/pJ1hsgAN2N— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) March 17, 2019
Stores looted, cars burnt, violence returns to Paris landmark #ChampsElysees, as #YellowVest protestors clash with French police pic.twitter.com/aVSvcT1JEX— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) March 17, 2019
The riots were so severe that French President Emmanuel Macron cut short a vacation at the La Mongie ski resort in the Hautes-Pyrénées following a three-day tour of East Africa which took him to Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Macron skied on Friday, telling La Depeche du Midi "I'm going to spend two-three days here to relax, to find landscapes and friendly faces," adding "I'm happy to see the Pyrenees like that, radiant, although I know it was more difficult at Christmas" referring to the lack of snow in December.
In response to Saturday's violence, Macron said over Twitter that "strong decisions" were coming to prevent more violence.
In response to Saturday's violence, Macron said over Twitter that "strong decisions" were coming to prevent more violence.
Macron said some individuals -- dubbed “black blocs” by French police forces -- were taking advantage of the protests by the Yellow Vest grassroots movement to “damage the Republic, to break, to destroy.” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Twitter that those who excused or encouraged such violence were complicit in it. -Bloomberg
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