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France’s yellow vests stage new protests for anniversary

Yellow vest activists are staging fresh protests across France to mark the birth last year of their movement for economic justice, a day after scuffles between Paris police and activists marred the anniversary.

A yellow vest protester prepares coffee for fellow protesters in the l'Étoile yellow vests camp after a demonstration at the l'Étoile road toll lanes marking the one year anniversary of the yellow vest movement near Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2019.  Some protests have clashed with police as yellow vest protesters are marking a year of protests, seeking what they see as economic justice for the French people with changes in government policies. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A yellow vest protester prepares coffee for fellow protesters in the l'Étoile yellow vests camp after a demonstration at the l'Étoile road toll lanes marking the one year anniversary of the yellow vest movement near Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2019. Some protests have clashed with police as yellow vest protesters are marking a year of protests, seeking what they see as economic justice for the French people with changes in government policies. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)Read moreDaniel Cole / AP

PARIS — Yellow vest activists are staging fresh protests across France to mark the birth last year of their movement for economic justice, a day after scuffles between Paris police and activists marred the anniversary.

Interior minister Christophe Castaner deplored Saturday’s violence on CNews television. He said Paris police had detained 173 people.

Authorities said about 28,000 people marched across France on Saturday, including 4,700 in Paris. Yellow vest activists said there were 44,000.

On Sunday, dozens of protesters briefly gathered under the dome of Paris’ Galeries Lafayette store to denounce consumer culture.

On Nov. 17, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people blocked traffic around the country to protest a fuel tax hike. The sometimes-violent protests have increasingly vented anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s policies, who is seen as favoring the rich.