French Police Clash with Protesters Near Élysée Palace Amid Widespread Unrest
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Al Mayadeen network reported from Paris, the capital of France, on Saturday that the Place de la République is currently shrouded in dark smoke due to clashes between protesting citizens and police forces.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent in Paris added that protests and sit-ins are ongoing near the presidential palace in the French capital. The protests at the Place de la République have been continuing for nearly seven hours, with French police arresting approximately 160 demonstrators. Dozens have suffered suffocation and fainted from the effects of tear gas fired by the police.
Al Mayadeen noted that police forces stormed a street near the Place de la République and attacked protesters using tear gas.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing protests and unrest in France, demonstrators in Marseille previously attacked the city’s municipality, breaking down its doors and entering the building. Angry protesters used security barriers removed from the street to batter the doors, successfully gaining entry into the municipal building.
French network BFMTV had previously reported that the tourist office in Lyon’s Place Bellecour caught fire concurrently with the ongoing protests and unrest in France.
France has been facing a wave of unrest for about a month, disturbances that began after a group of students in the suburbs of Paris protested the poor conditions of educational institutions.
Furthermore, a planned Saturday march in Paris was delayed due to clashes between protesters and police, resulting in several arrests.
Paris, the capital of France, and several other cities across the country witnessed large protest gatherings on Saturday. As high school students and members of the Yellow Vest movement took to the streets of Paris, initial clashes between protesters and police forces were reported.
