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Several tens of thousands of "yellow vests" marched in France for the 19th consecutive Saturday, marked by a drastic reinforcement of the police system. Incidents occurred, but out of proportion with the violent scenes of the previous week. " Today, the republican order has been maintained ", triumphed Christophe Castaner.
From one Saturday to the other, the two faces of a yellow movement. If we remember from the act XVIII sackings, looting and fires on the Champs-Elysees, the image of a good-hearted procession and a canary gathering on the Montmartre hill in Paris remains of the day of March 23rd.
Side figure, Act XIX of the movement of social protest gathered about 40 500 people in France, including 5000 in Paris, according to the figures of the Minister of the Interior. Numbers challenged by the "yellow vests" which they counted 127 212 participants this Saturday.
In a press conference, Christophe Castaner noted that 233 arrests had taken place throughout France, 172 detentions in custody and 107 people verbalised for attempting to take part in forbidden gatherings. The Minister welcomed the fact that the security apparatus and " firmness instructions " given " helped to maintain order and avoid overflowing ". " Today, the republican order has been maintained, " he said.
The doctrine we adopted after December 1 was applied to the letter.
The additional measures that we proposed with @NunezLaurent, validated this week by the Prime Minister have been implemented.
The correct instructions were well applied. pic.twitter.com/1ook07xoLW
In Paris, a peaceful demonstration as a whole
In Paris this Saturday, more than the sound grenades, so it is the music that resonated in the Paris procession, reports our journalist Pierre Olivier. In the crowd yellow jackets savor this nineteenth act: " Contrary to what they say, it does not run out of steam ," sums up this protester. " I'm watering my 10th today! I'm really happy there, "says another man.
An itinerary declared in prefecture quite novel for a demonstration: it connected the place Denfert-Rochereau, in the south, in Sacré-Coeur, in the north. " I believe that the yellow vests have chosen to grab the entire capital with all its heritage, " said a protester.
The #chalecosamarillos invades the gardens of Montmartre in París. Conclude the movilización # 19. pic.twitter.com/ZQMb69Wl9X
RFI en Español (@RFI_Espanol) March 23, 2019This act XIX was framed by an important police device, but the presence of the police does not seem to have hindered the yellow vests. " We saw them, but they are relaxed, they watch us pass. And we did not see any soldiers, none. No violence during the event, the opposite of the atmosphere of last Saturday, but for some yellow vests, overflows can also be heard. " Honestly , if there had not been a break, would we have talked about us like this? I'm not sure, even though I'm against it. "
The situation became tense at the end of the afternoon when part of the procession resumed the direction of the center of the capital. Protesters burned garbage cans and vandalized a storefront before being dispersed with tear gas. A short distance away, Place de la République, a policeman from an intervention company suffered a heart attack and was taken to the hospital, in a " very serious state " according to the prefecture.
The demonstrators have already made an appointment for Act XX in one week.
Scuffles in southern cities
In Nice, police forces evacuated Garibaldi Square in the morning to prevent protesters from entering the old town. A 73-year-old woman was injured during the operation and had to be hospitalized, according to a source interviewed by Reuters. Two other people were slightly injured in the afternoon. Eighty people were arrested in the Alpes-Maritimes, including 75 in Nice, according to the prefecture.
Violence also erupted in Lyon, Montpellier, Lille, Toulouse, where tensions were exacerbated by the prohibitions to demonstrate, in force in the sensitive areas of most major cities.
In Montpellier, between 400 and 500 breakers infiltrated the procession, made up of 4500 people, according to the prefecture of Hérault. Scuffles erupted on the Place de la Comédie and in the Gambetta district. A police officer was injured by a stone's throw.
In Toulouse, some 3,000 protesters were dispersed with tear gas and grenades of desencclement when they wanted to approach the place of the Capitol. Garbage cans and barricades were burned. In Lyon, where the police tried to prevent the processions from entering the commercial districts, police officers and "yellow vests" also exchanged jets of projectiles and tear gas grenades.