French officials appeal for peace as ‘Yellow Vest’ protests intensify

Paris: French officials appealed for peace as spurts of violence were reported in multiple parts of France amid the ‘yellow vest’ protests in the country.
France’s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said massive gatherings were held in Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille, with a total of around 50,000 demonstrators taking to streets.
Furthermore, violence was reported in Montpellier and Troyes, where demonstrators tried to enter prefectures, and in Avignon, where some attempted to break into the Court of Justice. Violence was also reported in Beauvais, CNN reported.
Owing to the incidents of violence, French government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux said his Paris office had to be evacuated after demonstrators broke into the premises with construction machinery. Officials from the government have called for peace in the country and appealed to protestors to avoid taking law and order in their own hands.
“I call on everybody to be responsible and respect the rule of law,” Castaner tweeted.
Protests have been raging in France since November 17 last year against the hike in fuel prices. French President Emmanuel Macron scrapped the fuel price hike, amongst a string of other initiatives aimed at bringing the situation under control.