Yellow vests. What to expect this Saturday on the Champs-Élysées?

Last weekend, the demonstration of yellow jackets on the Champs-Elysees in Paris escalated into clashes between protesters, thugs, and law enforcement. Unhappy announcements made this week by the government, the movement has planned to meet again on the famous avenue this Saturday. What to expect?

Tear gas under the windows of department stores. The Yellow Vest movement has announced its intention to meet again on the Champs Elysees, the famous avenue of the eighth arrondissement, to protest against the ads - considered insufficient - the government this week.

This time, the demonstration was authorized by the Ministry of the Interior, but drastic provisions were made to limit, or at least supervise, overflows. The demonstration of 24 had in fact degenerated into a pitched battle between protesters and police. What to expect in Paris this Saturday, December 1st?

The Champs-Élysées, a "hermetically protected perimeter"

"The wish of all the Yellow G ilets is to continue every Saturday like that, Champs-Elysees," announced Eric Drouet, one of the representatives of the movement, when he left the Ministry of Energy Transition Tuesday. Last week, there were 8,000 in Paris, much of it on the Champs-Elysees where the demonstration had not yet been authorized. This time, the Ministry of the Interior chose to play another card, that of strict supervision of an authorized event.

"I do not want to ban the Champs-Elysees," said Christophe Castaner, the Minister of the Interior. Rather than a ban, the minister mentions a "controlled perimeter on all the accesses of the Champs-Élysées" . There, several very strict measures will be put in place. Passers-by will be "systematically searched" and the police will be able, in some cases, to carry out identity checks.

"We will search the bags to avoid that there are weapons by destination and our police are the victims, especially as we know at the time I am talking to you that the ultra right and the ultra left , as was the case last week, [...] are mobilizing to come again break, " said the Minister of the Interior on France 3.

Christophe Castaner also indicated that a video surveillance system would be put in place. Within this perimeter, "hermetically protected" as defined by the Minister, the police will "systematically" call out any possible thugs. According to several police sources, the Saturday device could mobilize about fifty units of mobile forces, or about 5,000 men.

Merchants, worried, waiting to see

#YellowCards: we are removing anything that could be used as projectiles. The safety of people and property must be ensured. It is out of the question that last week's situation will happen again. @BFMTV

The mayor of Paris is also ready for the worst. Anne Hidalgo's first deputy said the city's services were "removing anything that could be used as missiles" to prevent "last week's situation from happening again" . This advice was also given to Champs-Élysées tradesmen, many of whom also manage a terrace where there are many potential projectiles.

"We have tables that burned, the heaters with gas inside were taken and thrown in the middle of the Fields. As soon as we could, we got them to put them inside. They are all twisted or broken, "said Anthony Sebag, director of the restaurant Bistro 25, the day after the demonstration on November 24, which insists that yellow vests helped him to recover furniture.

Will businesses open? Traders are getting organized, some hoping to open on Saturday. "We will be there, we will see how it goes, if we can work so much better, if we can not, for the safety of the establishment and employees, we will close," said Anthony Sebag.

The demonstrators recovered on November 24 the chairs of the terraces to build baricades | François Guillot / AFP

The prefecture advised this week all traders to remove their terrace Saturday, according to Nicole S., the deputy head of the bakery Brioche Dorée Champs-Elysees. "Yes, thank you for the advice, but we have no terrace," she says.

In terms of security, the company Protectim, which monitors several brands on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, has already planned to increase its workforce for the weekend, according to one of the security agents .

Discrete policies will try to be present

On the left as well as on the right, one tries to be accepted of the movement. The most important step: to reach the procession without wiping the anger of a crowd electrified and particularly suspicious of the political seraglio. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the insubordinate France, announced himself at the demonstration of Saturday while specifying Thursday on France 2 that he wanted to avoid "the concentrations of cameras" around him.

Saturday in the street, in number and in mass! # 1stDecember # GiletsJaunes # Les4V # France2

"What is the Champs-Élysées? Who is it for, exactly? Asked Marine Le Pen about Europe 1. The president of the National Assembly pleaded all week for the authorization of the event, hoping to win the favor of the movement. "The Champs-Élysées is an avenue that is the symbol of France. The Yellow Vests are the French people. They want to reappropriate what they consider theirs , " said Marine Le Pen who did not specify whether she would be present or not.

"To whom are the Champs-Elysees exactly reserved? To the tourists only? To which caste? The Champs-Elysees are the symbol of France, but the #Yellowjackets, it is the French people!" # E1Matin pic.twitter.com/wQOKTYo39u

"What the yellow vests express is what the CGT expresses in terms of precariousness of life," said Gisèle Vidallet, Confederal Secretary to the CGT who fears to leave too much room for far right. The union has therefore called to join the movement of yellow vests in Paris this Saturday. In the interest of independence, however, they decided to wear an orange vest.

Some ultraright groups have planned well to mingle with the movement of yellow vests. This is particularly the case of the French Action, the royalist and nationalist movement, which said Friday it would be alongside the protesters. Defending all violent intent, the figures of the movement indicated that they only sought to participate "in this great movement" that are the Yellow Vests.

According to a journalist of the Express, 200 to 300 activists of the French Action would be expected.