More 'yellow vest' protests planned as France winds down for Christmas
French “yellow vests” are gearing up for a sixth Saturday of nationwide demonstrations, but numbers on the streets are falling fast as the police clear protest camps in the run-up to the Christmas holidays, AFP reported.
The protesters appeared split yesterday on whether to stage another large rally in Paris, or in the nearby town of Versailles, once home to king Louis XVI who lost his head to the revolutionary guillotine.
Fearing possible unrest, authorities said they were closing the Palace of Versailles and its gardens, a top tourist venue, today.
The number of protesters has however fallen significantly since last week, when Macron, a pro-business centrist, gave into some of their demands, the source said.
The interior ministry estimated the numbers taking part in various protests on Thursday at under 4,000, the lowest since demonstrations began on November 17, with 282,000 taking part on the first Saturday.