6 January
Demonstrators protesting the policies of French President Emmanuel Macron broke into a government building, forcing a senior official escape via a backdoor.
On Saturday, this year's first "yellow vest" demonstrations were held around the country.
Interior Ministry says about 50,000 people took part .Protesters clashed with police in central Paris. Some demonstrators attacked a government compound, forcing a government spokesperson to evacuate.
Anti-government protesters have staged rallies every weekend since November, when citizens took to the streets to express their anger over a planned increase in the fuel tax. In a bid to calm the protesters, Macron announced last month that he would cancel the fuel tax hike and raise the minimum wage. But those measures have failed to satisfy yellow vest protesters.
Leaders of the protest movements from throughout the country met for the first time in Marseille on Saturday. After the meeting, a representative of the protesters told a news conference that the objective is to consolidate the power of protestors to achieve something bigger in the future.
He said that they will lead the movements into a unified political force.—NHK
