<div class="voa-content">
French police are investigating how a prominent yellow vest protester suffered a dramatic eye injury in Paris, as well as other protest-related injuries, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/violence-at-french-yellow-vest-protests-prompts-new-rallies/4760686.html">reports</a> VOA News.
Violence by protesters and the sometimes-aggressive police response have prompted a national debate since the anti-government movement kicked off two months ago.
A counter-demonstration is planned Sunday in Paris by groups calling themselves the &#8220;red scarves&#8221; and &#8220;blue vests&#8221; to protest the violence.
Paris police said Sunday they are investigating the eye injury of protester Jerome Rodrigues, among other protest injuries. Video images show Rodriguez collapsed on the ground Saturday near the Bastille monument in Paris, where protesters throwing projectiles clashed with police seeking to disperse them.
The movement sees French President Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s government as favoring the wealthy. Most of its actions are peaceful.
</div>

large_ad34de95-ce32-43b3-98a8-50b60d2ec532_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

medium_ad34de95-ce32-43b3-98a8-50b60d2ec532_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

small_ad34de95-ce32-43b3-98a8-50b60d2ec532_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

thumbnail_ad34de95-ce32-43b3-98a8-50b60d2ec532_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

ad34de95-ce32-43b3-98a8-50b60d2ec532_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

Violence at French Yellow Vest Protests Prompts New Rallies

<div class="voa-content">
More than a million euros have been donated to French police hurt in clashes with yellow vest protesters as both sides take to online crowdfunding to rally support, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/crowdfunding-wars-french-police-vs-yellow-vest-protesters/4737073.html">reports</a> VOA News.
The police fund-raising campaign came in response to a similar support drive for a boxer who was captured on video punching police officers during Saturdays protests in Paris.
Fund-raising site Leetchi suspended donations for the boxer, Christophe Dettinger, amid government outrage. Dettinger is in custody until his trial next month on charges of violence against public officials.
Conservative lawmaker Renaud Muselier then launched a fund-raising campaign for police injured since the protests began Nov. 17. It hit the 1 million-euro mark Thursday.
New protests are planned this Saturday despite concessions by President Emmanuel Macron. The movement started over fuel tax rises but has expanded to broad anti-government anger.
</div>

large_6489d805-4fa9-42f8-8338-25e55f0d8fb2_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

medium_6489d805-4fa9-42f8-8338-25e55f0d8fb2_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

small_6489d805-4fa9-42f8-8338-25e55f0d8fb2_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

thumbnail_6489d805-4fa9-42f8-8338-25e55f0d8fb2_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

6489d805-4fa9-42f8-8338-25e55f0d8fb2_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg

Crowdfunding Wars: French Police vs. Yellow Vest Protesters

<div class="voa-content">
Fewer yellow vest protesters turned out across France on Saturday, yet tensions between demonstrators and police boiled over in Paris later in the evening on the well-known Champs-Elysees thoroughfare, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/fewer-french-yellow-vests-take-to-streets-ahead-of-holidays/4712640.html">reports</a> VOA News.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons against demonstrators. A video showed a group of protesters surrounding and attacking several police officers who were on motorcycles. One officer appeared to point his gun at the protesters, but Paris police told the Associated Press he did not fire his weapon.
Nationwide protests, which began Nov. 17 against a planned fuel tax increase, have continued into a sixth week. They have morphed into protests largely against President Emmanuel Macrons liberal economic reform policies.
Reacting to the movement, on Dec. 10 Macron made tax and salary concessions. He has largely kept out of the public eye since then.
Smaller crowds
French officials estimated about 38,000 people had taken part in protests around the country Saturday, with Paris police estimating about 2,000 in the capital. By comparison, more than 280,000 people took part in nationwide protests Nov. 17. As many as 4,000 protesters were in Paris on Dec. 15.
On Saturday, police arrested 81 people nationwide, compared with several hundred arrests during nationwide protests two weeks ago, officials said.
Police were also called to protesters setting up roadblocks near Frances borders with Spain, Belgium, Italy and Germany.
Death toll rises to 10
Media reports said the death toll from the protests rose to 10 on Saturday, after a driver was killed overnight in southern France after driving into a truck that had been stopped by a roadblock.
The yellow vest movement was named after the safety vests French motorists are required to keep in their vehicles, which the protesters wear at demonstrations.
</div>

large_91bce13d-f36b-4e17-b6f0-dcad75426864_cx12_cy1_cw86_w1023_r1_s.jpg

medium_91bce13d-f36b-4e17-b6f0-dcad75426864_cx12_cy1_cw86_w1023_r1_s.jpg

small_91bce13d-f36b-4e17-b6f0-dcad75426864_cx12_cy1_cw86_w1023_r1_s.jpg

thumbnail_91bce13d-f36b-4e17-b6f0-dcad75426864_cx12_cy1_cw86_w1023_r1_s.jpg

91bce13d-f36b-4e17-b6f0-dcad75426864_cx12_cy1_cw86_w1023_r1_s.jpg

Fewer French ‘Yellow Vests’ Take to Streets Ahead of Holidays

<div class="voa-content">
French protesters for the fifth straight weekend rallied against the high cost of living, although demonstrations were more subdued nationwide Saturday, partly because of concessions made by the President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week, as well as a combination of cold weather and rain, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/fewer-people-gather-for-yellow-vest-protests-in-paris/4702668.html">reports</a>.
Several thousand people turned out in Paris. Scuffles erupted between protesters and police, who fired tear gas and used water cannons on demonstrators as they scurried down side streets near the famed Champs-Elysees boulevard.
About 8,000 police and 14 armored vehicles were deployed to prevent a repeat of previous protests that turned violent, with protesters looting stores and setting up burning barricades in the streets.
Police said more than 115 people had been taken into custody by Saturday afternoon.
A week ago, French officials said more than 100,000 people had joined protests around the country. This week, police counted just over 33,000 protesters nationwide.
In Paris, police had reopened the Champs-Elysees to traffic by early evening.
The protests, triggered by fuel tax hikes, have morphed into a movement about France&#8217;s high living costs, and has ballooned into the biggest crisis of Macron&#8217;s presidency.
The weeks of protests have exposed intense resentment among noncity residents who feel that Macron, a former investment banker, is out of touch with struggling middle-class and blue-collar workers.
Macron has since abandoned the fuel tax hikes and hopes a package of tax and minimum-wage measures will help ease tensions in the country after the recent violent clashes.
Protesters, however, have made new demands to address other economic issues hurting workers, retirees and students.
Government officials are concerned that repeated outbreaks of violence will weaken the economy and raise doubts about the government&#8217;s survival.
Officials are also concerned about far-right, anarchist and anti-capitalist groups like Black Bloc that have mimicked the &#8220;yellow vest&#8221; movement.
The &#8220;yellow vest&#8221; movement was named after the safety jackets French motorists are required to keep in their vehicles, which the protesters wear at demonstrations.
</div>