Around 200 “Yellow Vest” protesters have gathered in Paris for the 42nd week of the often-violent anti-government movement.

Protesters, who continued to demand higher “purchasing power and fiscal justice” from President Emmanuel Macron’s government, held banners and chanted as they marched from the French capital’s Place de Gambetta square.

The movement has been losing steam in recent months, as turnout remained well below earlier peaks seen in November and December 2018, when an estimated 300,000 took to the streets on Saturdays in protests that often resulted in widespread violence and vandalism in Paris.

The “Yellow Vests” protests, named after the bright jackets French drivers have to keep in their cars and which have been worn by demonstrators, began in November after public anger against fuel tax rises. Those were subsequently scrapped but the movement has since morphed into a broader anti-government protest.

The number of protesters has gradually fallen as a result of measures taken by President Macron to quell the public anger, such as tax cuts to boost consumers’ spending power. Still, “Yellow Vests” have called for demonstrations in Paris on September 21, as the movement’s first anniversary nears.

(Source: Reuters)