France: 25 Arrested Ahead Of Yellow Vest Protests

At least 25 people have been arrested in French capital before a planned demonstration of Yellow Vest protesters on Saturday, according to local broadcaster France Info.



Yellow Vest protests, which started as a reaction to fuel tax hikes and evolved into a raid against French President Emmanuel Macron, will continue on Saturday despite the government's call to halt it.



On Thursday, Maxime Nicolle, one of the prominent figures of the Yellow Vest movement, said they will hold protests despite the government's calls to stop after Strasbourg shooting.



The protesters will gather on Champs-Elysees and Opera Square, while around 8,000 will be on duty together with 14 armored vehicles to ensure security in Paris.



Around 89,000 police officers are deployed across the country.



While stores and restaurants on the iconic street are closed, many metro lines will be out of service due to the protests.



Since Nov. 17, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests -- dubbed the Yellow Vests -- have been gathering in major French cities, including the capital Paris, to protest Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the deteriorating economic situation.



The demonstrators, who generally live in rural areas due to high rents in the cities, have called on Macron to cut fuel taxes and ease their economic difficulties.



During demonstrations, at least four people have been killed and more than a thousand others wounded.



The French President Macron said that taxes on overtime pay would be abolished as of next year and announced social security tax cuts for pensioners earning less than €2,000.



However, the protesters have found President Macron's statement "insufficient." -