SACRE BLEU

France’s Prime Minister Edouard Philippe Bans Yellow Vest Protests After Saturday Riots

After 10,000 rioters burned a bank and destroyed storefronts on the Champs-Elysees on Saturday.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Monday banned the gilets jaunes ("Yellow Vest") protesters from the Champs-Elysees in central Paris and in two nearby cities for an unspecified amount of time, the Associated Press reports. Philippe also announced that Paris’ current police chief, Michel Delpuech, will be replaced. The move comes after about 10,000 rioters, ostensibly promoting economic justice, terrorized the avenue on Saturday, burning a bank and destroying storefronts in the 18th consecutive week of violence the country has faced. Many of the 91 impacted stores remained closed Monday morning. Philippe acknowledged “dysfunction” within police ranks during the announcement and labeled the decision to use rubber bullets on protesters “inappropriate”—but he emphasized that violent protesters must be held accountable. “When a protest has been banned and its aim is to ransack and loot,” he said, “all of those who take part it in and, in fact, protect looters, encourage them or glorify them online, are complicit and will have to face the consequences.”

OUT OF CONTROL

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Barbie Latza Nadeau