Since then, police presence at rallies and controls on transport and permits to protest have been expanded.Marseille, France’s second-largest city, banned protests over the weekend, but the prefecture announced that some 3,500 people still took to the streets. Local media reported that tear gas and a water cannon were used against protesters and shared images of fires burning in a popular local square.In Lyon, local media reported that roughly 8,000 people took to the streets.
They shared images of masked protesters chanting in front of fires lit in the street and police charging and using tear gas.Tear gas use was also reported in Nantes, Bordeaux and Paris.More protests plannedUnions have called for a new day of strikes on Tuesday after rejecting a government promise to increase the minimum wage by 0.6 percent as “crumbs”.If the demonstrations go ahead, they will take place on the eighth anniversary of the Gilet Jaune – which translates to “Yellow Vest” in French – movement, which rocked the beginning of the Macron government in 2018 with two years of protests triggered by rising fuel prices.On Tuesday, the Yellow Vests will “celebrate their eight years where it all started: on roundabouts and toll booths all over France”, Yellow Vest protest tracking website 17octobregiletjaune.net writes.While Saturday’s protests remained largely peaceful, some clashes between police and protesters were reported in cities across France [Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA]