Yellow vests protest for 17th consecutive week as Macron's 'grand debate' reaches its final weeks

Yellow vests protest for 17th consecutive week as Macron's 'grand debate' reaches its final weeks
Copyright Reuters
Copyright Reuters
By Rachael Kennedy with Reuters
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Yellow vest protesters gathered in several locations across France on Saturday for the movement's 17th consecutive week of demonstrations

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The yellow vest movement remained steadfast on Saturday as thousands of people took to the streets across France for a 17th consecutive weekend of demonstrations.

In Paris, protesters wearing pink were spotted among the usual sea of neon yellow, having turned out to denounce unemployment reforms for child-care workers.

Videos posted to social media showed demonstrators clashing with police in the French capital, where water cannons and tear gas were also deployed to disperse the crowd.

Protest in Paris

Demonstrations were also held in several other French cities, including Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse.

Around 28,600 people took part in Saturday's protest, which was a drop of more than 10,000 from the week before, according to interior ministry estimates quoted by Reuters.

Protest in Lyon
Protest in Toulouse

While attendance figures in recent weeks have significantly dropped in comparison to the movement's peak of 300,000 protesters back in November, the demonstrations are still big enough to place continued pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron's attempt to appease the movement, a three-month series of nationwide town hall-style events dubbed the "grand debate," are set to end this month.

READ MORE: Macron's Great National Debate -- What is it and how does it work? | Euronews Answers

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