One of the leaders of the “yellow vest” anti-government demonstrations, Éric Drouet, was detained by French police and placed in custody on Wednesday for organising a central Paris protest without declaring it, according to a source at the prosecutors office, reports The Independent.
Drouet — who already faces a trial for carrying a weapon — was held while heading for the Champs-Elysées, according to a police source.
A few dozen demonstrators had gathered outside a McDonalds near France’s famous Arc de Triomphe war monument and had been waiting for Drouet to arrive early Wednesday evening.
“Yellow vest” demonstrations — so-called after the high-visibility jackets they wear — began in rural France in November over fuel taxes and ballooned into a wider revolt against President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business policies, which they view as skewed towards the rich.
The protesters have repeatedly clashed with police in Paris and other big French cities, plunging Macron’s presidency into crisis.