» News » Paris cleans up after 'Yellow Vest' protests bring city to halt


December 10, 2018 10:10 IST

Paris tourist sites reopened, workers cleaned up broken glass and shop owners tried to put the city on its feet again, a day after running battles between yellow-vested protesters and riot police left 71 injured and caused widespread damage to the French capital.

Take a look at the widespread damage caused to the city during the protests.

Graffiti is seen on a vandalised Starbucks coffee shop with broken store front windows the day after clashes during the protest by the "yellow vests" movement in Paris. Some 125,000 yellow vests took to the streets on Saturday around France with a bevy of demands related to high living costs and a sense that French President Emmanuel Macron favours the elite and is trying to modernise the French economy too fast. Photograph: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters

Some 1,220 people were taken into custody around France after Saturday's protest, which saw the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum being shut amongst other tourist spots. Windows of coffee shops were destroyed and a day later people were trying to get the city back on its feet. Photograph: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters

Messages such as "The People's Rage" and "The World is Ours" were scrawled across various facades of buildings in Paris during the protest. It has been reported that Macron will be announcing concrete measures to calm protests. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Across Paris bank branch offices, toy shops, opticians and other retail outlets were covered with graffiti, much of which attacked Macron. However, in some places, news stands were burnt down. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

A damaged car is seen in a street near the Champs-Elysees following the fourth week of the 'yellow vests' demonstrations. On Saturday, the police used tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protest. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo estimates that the protests thus far have caused 3 to 4 million euros worth of damages. Iconic monuments at the Arc de Triomphe, Tuileries Gardens and Place Vendome have been vandalised. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The protests come at an unfortunate time as the holiday shopping season begins — one of the most important periods of the year. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

A protester carries a burning Christmas tree to a barricade during the 'yellow vests' demonstration near the Arc de Triomphe on December 8. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Parisians have lamented the damage that has taken place during the protest. Said one local, "What happened it was unforgettable. It happened in a country like France that supposed to be sophisticated, it’s unbearable and it cannot be forgiven." Photograph: Jean-Paul Pelissier/Reuters

A protester waves a French flag during clashes with police at a demonstration by the "yellow vests" movement in Paris. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters