At Least 60 Injured in Saturday's Yellow Vest Rallies in Paris - Reports

PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2019) At least 60 people sustained injuries as a result of Saturday's yellow vest protests in Paris, which were marked by clashes with police, local media reported, citing the police prefecture.

Earlier in the day, a Sputnik correspondent reported that some of the protesters were acting aggressively and provocatively, which prompted the police, who had previously used fire gas and smoke bombs, to finally resort to firing a water cannon against the crowd.

According to the France Info radio station, those injured include 42 protesters, 17 police officers and a firefighter.

The media outlet also provided updated data on those detained in the Saturday rallies in Paris, with the number having risen from 94 to 192.

In total, as many as 32,300 people took part in the rallies nationwide earlier in the day, which is 3,700 more than last weekend, according to the Interior Ministry's data, cited by the radio station.

This is already the 18th consecutive weekend of rallies, which started in mid-November over the government's plans to raise fuel taxes. While the French government abandoned its plans to raise fuel taxes and introduced other measures to improve the country's socioeconomic situation, protesters continue to take to the streets across France every weekend to express their wider discontent with the government's policies.