PARIS — Groups of defiant "yellow vest" demonstrators faced off with tens of thousands of police around France on Saturday, but the protest movement appeared to have lost momentum on a fifth and decisive weekend. French President Emmanuel Macron, facing the biggest crisis of his presidency, announced a series of concessions on Monday to defuse the explosive "yellow vest" crisis, which swelled up from rural and small-town France last month. Some senior figures in the "yellow vest" movement -- which has no official leaders and dozens of separate demands -- had urged protesters to continue to press home their advantage. "Last time, we were here for taxes," a 28-year-old "yellow vest" called Jeremy told AFP as he arrived on the Champs-Elysees in the freezing cold on Saturday morning. More than 1,400 people have been injured since the protests began on November 17.

Source: Philippine Star December 16, 2018 04:18 UTC