UNREST

Paris Police Use Tear Gas and Water Cannons on Protesters

The Paris protests are fueled by rising gas prices.

Police in Paris deployed tear gas and water cannons on some 5,000 protesters who gathered in opposition of President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies—and rising fuel prices related to them, Reuters reports. Protesters—holding signs that read "Macron, thief" and "Macron, resignation"—clashed with cops who were trying to keep them from reaching the nearby presidential palace, as they converged on the famed Champs Elysees. Officials in France, including interior minister Christophe Castaner, charged that far-right leader Marine Le Pen were encouraging the protests, which also took place last weekend. The protesters stand in opposition to Macron's proposed tax on oil and diesel, which are intended to boost more environmentally friendly methods of transportation.