French Authorities Fear 'Great Violence' as Yellow Vest Anger Endures

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – French authorities are worried that another wave of “great violence” and rioting will be unleashed in Paris this weekend by a hard core of several thousand ‘yellow vest’ protesters, an official in the French presidency said on Thursday.

Despite capitulating this week over plans for fuel taxes that inspired the nationwide revolt, President Emmanuel Macron has struggled to quell the anger that led to the worst street unrest in central Paris since 1968.

Rioters torched cars, shattered windows, looted shops and sprayed and anti-Macron graffiti across some of Paris’ most affluent districts, even defacing the Arc de Triomphe. Scores of people were hurt and hundreds arrested in battles with police, Reuters reported.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced late on Wednesday that he was scrapping the fuel-tax increases planned for 2019, having announced a six-month suspension the day before, in a desperate bid to defuse the worst crisis of Macron’s presidency.

The Elysee official said intelligence suggested that some protesters would come to the capital “to vandalize and to kill”.