FRANCE: Yellow vest protests ‘economic catastrophe’ for France

The “yellow vest” protests have been “a catastrophe” for the French economy, the finance minister says. France has seen four consecutive weekends of demonstrations against fuel tax rises, high living costs, and other issues. About 125,000 protesters took to the streets on Saturday, with more than 1,700 people arrested. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called […]

The “yellow vest” protests have been “a catastrophe” for the French economy, the finance minister says.

France has seen four consecutive weekends of demonstrations against fuel tax rises, high living costs, and other issues.

About 125,000 protesters took to the streets on Saturday, with more than 1,700 people arrested.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called the situation “a crisis” for both society and democracy.

“It’s a catastrophe for commerce, it’s a catastrophe for our economy,” he said during a visit to shops in Paris that had been damaged during the protests.

The capital was particularly badly hit, with windows smashed, cars burned, and shops looted, as 10,000 people took part in demonstrations.

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian responded angrily to US President Donald Trump, who on Saturday in tweets appeared to suggest the Paris Climate Agreement was the reason for the unrest.