China News Service Paris, February 16 (Reporter Li Yang) On February 16, local time, Paris ushered in the 14th round of demonstrations since November 2018, which also marks that the demonstration has continued every Saturday in the past three months. The wave of demonstrations throughout France and the ongoing national debate have ushered in a critical moment.
Data picture: Paris protesters took to the streets to protest. Photo by Li Yang, China News Service reporter
Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Champs Elysees are the gathering places for the protesters on the 16th. A reporter from China News Service saw at the scene that a large number of protesters gathered there one after another, and at the same time, many riot police and several armored vehicles were also deployed under the Arc de Triomphe. A policeman was standing on an armored vehicle and recording a video.
Demonstrators set off from the Champs Elysees on time at 12 noon and started a march along the planned route. On that day, several police cars took the initiative to guide the protest march, and dozens of riot police officers were on guard along the way, trying to prevent the violence.
Some protesters tried to change the course of the march on the way, but were soon stopped by many riot police. Despite the police's close guard, some violent acts occurred that day. Demonstrators threw firecrackers and debris at police and lit multiple trash cans. Police fired tear gas on protesters. After nightfall, the police blocked the Champs-Elysées to prevent demonstrators from entering again.
The French Ministry of Interior released data that night said that 5,000 people protested in Paris that day. Demonstrators questioned official statistics, saying that the number of protesters in Paris was 15,000. In addition, official statistics show that there are 41,000 protesters across France, down from 50,000 last week.
htmlFebruary 16 also marks that a month has been underway in the French national debate. The national debate will end on March 15. Demonstrators played large placards during the February 16 parade, claiming that March 16 would be "the beginning of a real debate."French President Macron continued to participate in the national debate this week and called on the people to "return to rationality." He also reiterated that the government would respond more firmly to violent protesters. The French Ministry of Interior said that nearly 1,800 people have been tried for various violence during demonstrations since November last year. French Interior Minister Castane once again expressed his gratitude to the police on duty on the 16th.
According to the poll released this week, more than half of the respondents hope that the demonstration will end, but at the same time, more than half of the respondents expressed their support for the relevant positions and propositions of the demonstration.
