'Yellow vest protests' make comeback in France, police fire tear gas to disperse crowd

Yellow vest protests' made a comeback in France as protesters tussled with police on streets of Paris on Saturday. The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and made arrests. More than 250 protesters were arrested by the police on Saturday.

Yellow vest protests hit global headlines in late 2018 as protesters wearing yellow jackets/ shirts took to streets in France. The protesters showed their anger against fuel taxes and cost of living.

The anti-government protests were curbed by coronavirus lockdown this year.

By midday on Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators had gathered at the starting points of two authorised marches in Paris.

While one cortege proceeded without incident, the other march was aborted as police clashed with groups who left the designated route and set fire to waste bins and a car.

Some protesters wore black clothes and carried the flag of an anti-fascist movement, suggesting the presence of radical demonstrators dubbed “black blocks” often blamed for violence at street marches in France.

The police repeatedly used tear gas to counter small groups of roaming protesters, before they dispersed towards the end of the afternoon.

Police had made 256 arrests by 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), with many for carrying items like tools that could be used as weapons.