=====

France: 1,000 Yellow Vests Sent To Prison in 1 Year of Protests

For months, tear gas clouded the boulevards of Paris most Saturdays as protesters skirmished with riot police, whose heavy-handed response drew condemnation from rights groups.

More that one thousand French "yellow vests" have been sent to prison between last November and the end of June revealed the lastest official estimate by the Public Ministry, as the movement prepared to celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday.

Prison sentences go from a few months up to three years, and an extra group of 1,230 protesters have been sentenced to prison on parole, while 900 have been sentenced to other punishments like community service, reported the Ministry of Justice earlier in November, for a total of 3,000 sentences pronounced during that period of time.

The first major protest against the cost of living by people clad in the high-visibility jackets took place on November 17, 2018 in the form of roundabout blockades around the country.

The movement then morphed into a series of protests with heavy presence of militarized police clashing with demonstrators in Paris, especially the iconic Champs Elysees, serving as the main battleground.

The protests went on to rattle President Emmanuel Macron's government, forcing 15 billion euros in tax concessions after months of citizens' consultations.

The movement will celebrate its first birthday on Saturday, and various protest actions are slated to take place around the capital.

Continues:

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/France-1000-Yellow-Vests-Sent-To-Prison-in-1-Year-of-Protests-20191115-0009.html

=====