PARIS: One of the leaders of the “yellow vest” anti-government demonstrations was detained by police in Paris late Wednesday for organizing an unauthorized protest, signalling a harder line by the authorities against the movement.
Eric Drouet — who already faces a trial for carrying a weapon at a previous protest — was held while heading for the Champs-Elysees, which has been the scene of violent clashes over the last month.
“It’s called respecting the rule of law,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday as he defended the arrest which drew criticism from some leftist opponents of the government.
“It’s normal that when you break the laws of the republic, you face the consequences,” he added.
A few dozen demonstrators had gathered outside a McDonald’s restaurant near France’s famous Arc de Triomphe war monument and had been waiting for Drouet to arrive early Wednesday evening.
Drouet, a truck driver who appears on television as a spokesman for the “yellow vests,” had called for the demonstration in a video posted on his Facebook page.
The “yellow vest” demonstrations — so-called after the high-visibility jackets they wear — began in rural France in November over fuel taxes and ballooned into a wider revolt against President Emmanuel Macron’s policies and governing style.
The protesters, who have repeatedly flouted laws that require them to declare their demonstrations in advance, have regularly clashed with police in Paris and other big cities.
Drouet, who was filmed on Wednesday night being forced into a police vehicle by dozens of riot police in protective gear, was first arrested last month after he was found carrying a wooden stick at a demonstration.
He faces trial on June 5 for “carrying a prohibited category D weapon,” a judicial source told AFP.
Radical leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, a fierce critic of Macron, tweeted: “Again Eric Drouet arrested, why? Abuse of power. A politicized police targeting and harassing the leaders of the yellow vest movement.”
One political commentator on the BFM news channel, Bruno Jeudy, said the arrest risked turning Drouet into a sort of “martyr” at a time when the “yellow vest” movement appeared to be running out of steam.
Only a couple of hundred people turned up for the last round of demonstrations called on the Champs-Elysees on New Year’s Eve.
In mid-December, after weeks of violence, Macron scrapped unpopular fuel tax rises in response to the protests, promised extra cash for minimum wage earners and tax cuts for pensioners.
Leader of France’s ‘yellow vests’ arrested
Leader of France’s ‘yellow vests’ arrested
- Eric Drouet — who already faces a trial for carrying a weapon at a previous protest — was held while heading for the Champs-Elysees
- One political commentator on the BFM news channel, Bruno Jeudy, said the arrest risked turning Drouet into a sort of “martyr”
UK Police arrest 86 people at prison protest for Palestine Action hunger striker
- Demonstration outside Wormwood Scrubs held in support of Umer Khalid
- Khalid 1 of 5 people charged in connection with break-in at RAF base last year
LONDON: A protest outside a prison in the UK in support of a man detained for supporting the banned group Palestine Action has led to the arrest of 86 people.
London’s Metropolitan Police said a group of demonstrators breached the grounds of Wormwood Scrubs prison in the capital, refused to leave when ordered to do so, and threatened officers. They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
The group, several of whom attempted to gain access to the prison itself, were protesting in support of Umer Khalid, who is currently on hunger strike at the facility.
Khalid is one of five people charged in relation to a break-in by Palestine Action members at an RAF base at Brize Norton last year, in which two military aircraft were damaged.
Khalid, who denies the charges, is one of several people who are on or who have taken part in hunger strikes in recent months, all of whom have been held on similar charges for over a year without their cases being brought to trial.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Ministry of Justice said: “The escalation of the protest at HMP Wormwood Scrubs is completely unacceptable. While we support the right to peacefully protest, reports of trespassing and threats being made to staff and police officers are deeply concerning.
“At no point was prison security compromised. However, where individuals’ actions cause risk or actual harm to hardworking staff, this will not be taken lightly and those responsible can expect to face consequences.
“Prisoners are being managed in line with longstanding policy. This includes regular checks by medical professionals, heart monitoring and blood tests, and support to help them eat and drink again. If deemed appropriate by healthcare teams, prisoners will be taken to hospital.”
