Soldiers to open fire if necessary in Yellow Vest protests: Paris military general
Tehran (KNA) - French soldiers will operate under strict instructions, but will be allowed to fire live ammunition if necessary in the planned "Yellow Vest" protests Saturday, the military governor of Paris says.
"If their life or that of the people they defend is threatened, they can go up to opening fire," General Bruno Leray told Franceinfo Radio as protesters geared up to take to the streets.
His comments came after anti-government protesters burned down the famous Fouquet's restaurant, several shops and vehicles, as well as newspaper stands on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris last Saturday.
An estimated 8,300 people had turned out for "yellow vest" anti-government protests across France, including 3,100 in Paris, the interior ministry said. The figures suggest a marked drop from last weekend, when officials counted 14,500 demonstrators by mid-afternoon in France, with 10,000 in Paris, the scene of rioting and looting on the Champs-Elysees.
The demonstration in the capital was largely peaceful for most of the day, but later in the afternoon police fired tear gas on protesters near boulevard de Strasbourg, close to the capital's Gare du Nord and Gare de L'Est railway stations. Skirmishes also erupted in cities including Lille in northern France, and Toulouse and Montpellier in the south, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Following the incidents, French President Emmanuel Macron summoned a meeting with his interior and justice ministers to assess the critical situation and vowed to take "strong measures" to stop such riots from happening again.
Source: PressTV