Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who erected barricades near the Champs-Elysees in scenes reminiscent of some of the most tense “yellow vest” rallies. The organisers of Saturday’s protest presented it as an “ultimatum” to Macron, prompting fears of a return to the violence that characterised earlier rallies. In December, Macron attempted to stopper the movement by pledging 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) in tax cuts and benefits for the low paid and pensioners. Laurent Casanova, an engineer who was among the protesters, told AFP he had come to mark the end of the consultations. The protest is one of several planned in Paris on Saturday, where French climate campaigners are also planning a “March of The Century”.

Source: The Guardian March 16, 2019 10:41 UTC