Paris police detained nearly 300 people Saturday ahead of fresh anti-government “yellow vest” movement in opposition to a rise in fuel tax, the police said on Saturday.
France was bracing for the renewed demonstrations with nearly 90,000 security personnel on the streets. Some 8,000 officers and 12 armoured vehicles were deployed in Paris alone, where shops were boarded up and sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum closed.
A police spokeswoman said that the number of arrests could rise over the course of the day.
Most of the arrested were detained for being part of groups likely to carry out acts of violence or for being in possession of objects that could be used for that purpose, the spokeswoman said, adding that they could be released once the relevant verifications were made.
A source close to the operation told AFP that at least 34 people were arrested for carrying masks, hammers, slingshots and rocks that could be used to attack police.
Shops, museums, the Eiffel Tower and many metro stations were closed as much of the city-centre went on effective lockdown. Top-flight football matches and concerts were cancelled.
Last weekend’s violence, which saw some 200 cars torched and the Arc de Triomphe vandalised, shook France and plunged Macron’s government into its deepest crisis so far.
Ministers say the movement has been hijacked by “ultra-violent” protesters.
The French government later suspended its plans to hike fuel taxes following the huge public backlash.
The French press has billed the unrest as Macron’s “greatest political test” since taking office in May 2017.
Protesters were also demanding higher wages, lower taxes, better pensions, easier university requirements and even the resignation of the President.
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