Fears at the Elysee of widespread violence during the protests called by the “yellow vests” movement on Saturday

The French presidency expressed concern about widespread violence that may take place on Saturday during the protests called by the “yellow vests”.

“We have reasons to fear widespread violence, a source at the Elysee Palace told AFP, despite the government’s concessions, which canceled on Wednesday the tax resolution that was to be imposed on fuel throughout 2019.

As violence escalated in the “yellow vests” protests threatening to paralyze Paris again on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron asked political officials and trade unionists to call for calm”.

The French capital is still shaken by the events of last Saturday when it lived scenes like a street war with barriers, burning cars, looting shops and clashes with security forces.

Four people were killed and hundreds wounded on the sidelines of the protests, which began on 17 November in protest against the government’s social and financial policy, and expanded to include students, students and farmers.

Judicial referrals continued in the wake of the violence, particularly in the heart of the capital, and 13 people, including a minor, were charged with vandalism against the Arc de Triomphe last Saturday, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

“The time we are living is no longer the time of the political opposition, but the republic”, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said.

He added that “the President of the Republic asked the political forces and trade union forces and employers to make a clear and explicit appeal for calm and respect for the Republican framework”.

The spokesman pointed out that this appeal is directed to “those who prove slander and opportunism … There is no need to mention them by name, they will know themselves”.

For his part, Prime Minister Edward Philippe said in a speech to the National Assembly that “what is at stake is the security of the French and our institutions.

Here I call for responsibility”.

“All parties to the public debate, including political officials, trade union officials, writers and citizens, will be responsible for their statements in the coming days,” he said, adding that the government would “not tolerate” the “saboteurs” and “troublemakers”.

In this context, he stressed the initiatives announced on Tuesday in an effort to put an end to the “yellow anger”, mainly to suspend the six-month increase in the fuel tax.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly passed a 358-vote-to-194-vote vote, which was announced by the prime minister at the end of a five-hour debate.

On Wednesday evening, Transport Minister Francois de Rouge told the BBCMTV television channel that all fuel tax increases as of January 1, 2019 were “canceled for 2019” as a whole.

The announcement of these concessions appeared unlikely to convince the majority of demonstrators, who for three weeks have been cutting off roads and organizing rallies, sometimes accompanied by violence across the country.

Only two fuel stores were dismantled Wednesday, with most protesters vowing to continue their moves without taking the government’s concessions, which they describe as “modest measures”.

An opinion poll conducted by the Institute “Eilab” and published on Wednesday that 78% of the French consider that the government’s actions do not respond to the demands of “yellow vests”.

“The French do not want crumbs, they want to meet all their demands,” said Benjamin Kochi, one of the faces of the move.

Social relations expert Raymond Subi said the government’s actions “came too late”.

The Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Tuesday called on the “rational yellow vests” to give up the call for a new rally in Paris next Saturday, but no response was received as calls for a new day of mobilization across France continue.

One of the well-known protesters, Eric Drewier, called for a “return to Paris” Saturday “near the positions of power, the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the Concorde”.

The movement has reached secondary schools, which have been mobilized for three days in protest at the reform of the baccalaureate exam system and the law passed last year to regulate access to universities.

On Wednesday, dozens of secondary schools continued to suffer confusion and were unable to enter the city on Wednesday.

They called on student unions to mobilize as of Thursday, and some students began joining the yellow vests.

Farmers said they would protest next week in protest against an unspecified “campaign against farmers”.

In the midst of this generalized rebellion, the Prime Minister delivered a speech in the afternoon to MPs to defend his plan to break the crisis.

The session will be followed by a parliamentary debate leading to a vote that does not oblige the government.

Many ministers have been active on the media front in an effort to ease tensions.

Benjamin Griveaux put the possibility of re-imposing the tax on wealth at the demands of many protesters from the door of tax justice, but after the parliament assesses the situation from the fall of 2019.

But on Wednesday evening, the Elysee appeared to have closed the door to any discussion of the file by announcing that Macron had told the cabinet that he didn’t want to “dismantle anything that has been done for 18 months”.

Analysts said the decisions marked the first decline of Emmanuel Macron, who boasts of not going back on the street since arriving at the Elysee Palace in May 2017.

In a sign of tension in the country, Macron was greeted with booing and curses during a surprise visit on Tuesday evening to a police station burned by demonstrators last Saturday in the central French town of Bois-en-Vellet.

The French interior ministry announced the deployment of 65,000 security personnel across France on Saturday in anticipation of the new wave of popular unrest.