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Nearly 30 detained at Yellow Vests protests in Paris

The new wave of social protests hit France on February 16, drawing more than 40,000 demonstrators

PARIS, February 17. /TASS/. Police in Paris on Saturday hauled off 29 participants of protests organized by the Yellow Vests movement, BFM TV reported citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

The new wave of social protests hit France on February 16, drawing more than 40,000 demonstrators. Some 5,000 of them marched across Paris. During the day the protesters clashed with police several times. One of major clashes occurred in front of Les Invalides, where police used tear gas.

The Paris police have tightened security ahead of three series of protests scheduled for Sunday.

Since mid-November, France has been gripped by street riots over skyrocketing fuel prices, growing taxes and soaring living costs. The demonstrations spiraled into clashes with the police and a protest against the country’s leadership, whom protestors accuse of ineffective government and taking insufficient measures to fight poverty. Despite certain concessions made by the authorities, like cut taxes and wage hikes, the Yellow Vests are pledging to carry on these rallies.

According to a study by the Ifop sociological service, published on Sunday by Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, 52% of French think that it’s high time the protesters stopped their protests. Sociologists believe that the citizens’ support for the movement has significantly declined over the past weeks.

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