#GilletJaunes protesters kicking a riot police officer today in #Paris. Police are firing rubber bullets. Protesters are throwing rocks. Looks messy.
Footage of what is believed to be a police sniper on the roof of the #ChampsElysees in #Paris a few hours ago.
Looks like some pretty big fires were set also.
Note: I keep seeing people saying that these protests are due to rising fuel prices. That's not quite right. They're happening due to increases in fuel tax (amongst other things), which is a bit different.
There are a lot of claims that the #GilletsJaunes protests have been hijacked by radicals on both the left and right. Seems to be true to some degree. Here's a "Yellow Vest" protester holding up a Celtic Cross, often used by fascists in France.
Great photo here from yesterday’s clashes in #Paris. Anyone know who took it? 
The photo is by Alain Jocard.
Interesting scene here where French riot police remove their helmets as if to say they refuse to fight with the #GilletsJaunes protesters. I really doubt we'll see anything like this again after this weekend's clashes though.
Protesters storming a police position.
French anti-fascists fighting with a French far-right group amidst the #GilletsJaunes protests this weekend. The far-right group is "l'Oeuvre Francaise", who're openly anti-semitic and racist. The guy getting knocked out is the leader.
(Via @@HMSouBRBR)
(Via @@HMSouBRBR)
Footage of seven French riot police officers repeatedly beating one guy on the ground with their truncheons. One throws in a kick too.
More on how radical elements of both the left and right hijacked the #GilletsJaunes protests at times. See the thread.
Looks like the protests worked. Macron will suspend the fuel tax hikes in the New Year.
Protesters not happy with Macron. Likely clashes will continue.
Some guy walking around openly with a hand gun amidst continuing #GiletsJaunes protests in France.
To be clear, this was a riot that happened just outside of #Paris. It is however one of many incidents sparked by the continued #GiletsJaunes clashes.
After talking to more people and having a better read about the #GiletsJaunes protests in France, I think now it’s incorrect to say it’s been “hijacked” by radicals. I think it’s more accurate to say it’s turning into a kind of “post-political” protest movement.
The claims hard-right and hard-left are co-operating are false. They’re both angry about the same thing so are fighting the state for their own reasons—that doesn’t mean they’re aligned. We’ve actually even seen both sides fighting each other amongst the protests.
Anyway, I think it’s fair to say the protests have snowballed into something kind of all encompassing—as in even people that hate each other are united in their anger at the state right now. Either way, Macron is in hot water.
Teenage students who were protesting recent reforms in France have been forced to sit on their knees with their hands behind their heads by police.
APC spotted in #Paris.
The protests in #Paris are violent so of course there are many “these people are bad” takes going around, but consider what Macron is spending money on. Wouldn’t you be angry?
Seems to me that the #GilestJaunes not playing nice—as in they’re not doing the usual “look at me!” slogans on placards, Insta-protesting, or peaceful sit-ins—is the actual reason it’s looking like a threat to the state and might bring about change.
Not that I think there will be a revolution—not at all. It just rubs me up the wrong way when people start with the “these people are bad!” as soon as there are clashes, yet spend their days whining on social media about politics whilst actually doing nothing.
Pre-protest round ups by police have started in #Paris. u.afp.com/oCAW
Ayyy. Popular Front stickers spotted on the ground in Paris.
(I’m not in Paris. If you’re there on the ground at the protests today please DM me. Interested to hear what the situation is. Might go next week.)
Keep hearing this from everyone who’s been on the ground. No pro-Trump chants, and it’s not about the Paris Accords. The #GilestJaunes protests are not about this. See the thread.
#YellowVest protests being broadcast live in #Syria.
#YellowVest protesters have erected a flaming barricade in the street in Toulouse. Toulouse once had a ZAD area in 2014 in the Sivens forest, where radical environmentalists were pretty tough. One of them was even killed by a "non-lethal" police round.
Plain clothes police in #Paris today scooping #YellowVest protesters and attacking the media. (Excuse the Redfish video, can't stand them but the footage needs to be seen).
A woman has allegedly lost an eye after being hit in the face with a police flash ball. Many people on the ground have said police were purposely firing at head height (something I've personally only seen police do in places like Turkey).
Footage of what is said to be French Antifa fighting fascists amidst the #YellowVests protests again today.
More confirmation of French police firing at head height and at journalists.
GRAPHIC: A #YellowVests protester in #Paris has his whole hand blown off after picking up a police flash bang (presumably to throw back).
The "non-lethal" grenade that blew his hand off was apparently a GLI-F4 grenade, which is made up of CS gas and 25 grams of TNT explosive.
(Via @CelienFusillier)
(Via @CelienFusillier)
GRAPHIC: Footage of the young woman who was shot in the eye with a flash ball on the #ChampsElysees during #YellowVests protests yesterday. It's being reported that she lost use of the eye.
I'm getting a lot of dumb replies about the video further up in this thread where it shows French Antifa fighting yellow vests. Most of the replies are brain dead, so let me explain: The French anti-fascists ARE NOT randomly attacking protesters, they're attacking some...
...fascists they already know and saw amongst the yellow vests. If you scroll up and read the thread you'll see that the French anti-fascists are very much against Macron too, but they're not going to pass up an opportunity to kick fuck out of some fascists when they seem them.
More footage of the French riot police firing at head height.
(Excuse the Redfish media video, they're complete trash but the video is good in terms of evidence of protesters being targeted in the head.)
(Via @M3t4_tr0n)
(Excuse the Redfish media video, they're complete trash but the video is good in terms of evidence of protesters being targeted in the head.)
(Via @M3t4_tr0n)
French police in Paris on Saturday with assault rifles. Maybe @CalibreObscura can ID them?
(Photo taken by @hands313)
(Photo taken by @hands313)
Students protesting today in Paris, still angry at Macron despite his recent appeasement of a few of the #YellowVests demands. Note: He failed to mention the widespread police brutality or the 1000+ protesters in custody.
Inside the APCs seen on the streets of Paris this weekend, the police allegedly had a special gas that would incapacitate people as a "last resort".
(Via @HMSouBRBR)
(Via @HMSouBRBR)
Footage shot by @rossdomoney today in #Paris showing aggression at a student street protest. Looks like things are still yet to calm down.
See in full here: vimeo.com/305808472
See in full here: vimeo.com/305808472
Hackers have doxxed French police, releasing personal details such as addresses and names of the Gendarmerie after hacking the police union. francetvinfo.fr/faits-divers/p…
French police shouting the equivalent of "In your face!" as they fire non-lethal rounds at head height at #YellowVests protesters last weekend.
I found this quite interesting, regarding the #YellowVests protests: "This construction of a new divide is the result of the emergence of a whole series of resistances to thirty years of neoliberal hegemony that have established a post-democracy." versobooks.com/blogs/4149-the…
French international communist fighters of TIKKO pledge support to the #YellowVests protest from #Syria.
French police warn the government: 'We're at breaking point'. thelocal.fr/20181210/frenc…
A fair few people said I should go to Paris to cover the #YellowVests protests for Popular Front, so I’m on route now. If you’re out tomorrow for the protests say hi.
Nightmare trying to get past the police cordon. It’s huge and we’re being told “no press”...
Not sure why I’m surprised but I’ve never seen anything like this in Europe. It’s not even kicking off. Police just denying everyone. “No press allowed” I keep hearing.
APCs (not “tanks”!) still out on the street in #Paris.
Moving forward.
Solid protest aesthetic.
Don’t tell PartisanGirl but the Brittany flags are back out.
A few clashes are breaking out now across the city. I’m not at them though as the police have made it near impossible to get close. By the time you get to one place it’s locked off, repeat, repeat. Follow @rossdomoney for coverage.
Police repression of the free press in #Paris today was pretty awful. Never experienced anything like it in Europe. Clear, to me at least, that they’re trying to suppress coverage.
Lost count of how many times police blocked off empty roads and said “no press allowed” as I showed a press card. Also, once they’d kettled off #YellowVests protesters—literally surrounding them in huge perimeters of police, horses, and riot vans—they stopped anyone getting near.
Funny moment here, shot by @rossdomoney, where a French policeman aiming a flashball gun at #YellowVests protesters stop to greet and kiss one of them who he appears to know.
#YellowVests dispatch out on Popular Front next week. Subscribe and hit the bell not to miss it: youtube.com/popularfront
(🎥: @lukepierce100)
(🎥: @lukepierce100)
Remember I was saying about repression of the press yesterday in #Paris? Well it’s not just on the ground. Here’s @France3tv, French state broadcaster, censoring a #YellowVests protest sign so it says “Macron”. The original said “Macron degage” (Macron get out).
(Via @deverly_b)
(Via @deverly_b)
