"Yellow Vests" stage more protests against Macron's policy, but participant number drops

PARIS, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people wearing yellow vests took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest against rising fuel prices and high costs of living.

But the movement appeared to be waning days after French President Emmanuel Macron offered more concessions.

By 6:00 pm local time (1700 GMT) on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said nationwide marches had mustered 66,000 participants compared to 125,000 on Dec. 8 at the corresponding time.

In Paris, by 2:00 pm local time (1300 GMT) the number was put at 2,200, down from 10,000 a week ago.

Saturday was the fifth weekend day of protests coordinated by "Yellow Vests", the high-visibility jackets all motorists in France carry in their cars, via social media against the French president's economic reform and fiscal strategy. Despite determination of some to continue the action, the movement seemed to have lost momentum.

"The mobilization has weakened, which is from my point of view, it's necessary because it has been overwhelmingly responded to their demands and because the time for dialogue has come," Richard Ferrand, the National Assembly president told CNews television.

Unlike the last weekends which have been marred by vandalism and violent scruffles with security forces, the fresh wave of countrywide protests were relatively calm.

According to Paris prefecture, 168 people had been detained in the French capital, while more than 100 were still in police custody. Seven demonstrators were injured in Paris and several others were reported wounded in Nantes in southwestern France.

Defying freezing temperatures, demonstrators walked in the Champs Elysees avenue, waving tricolor flags and chanting the national anthem and anti-Macron slogans under the watch of security forces poured massively in the capital to prevent chaotic situation that have dented the world top tourist destination for weeks.

Some of them held a sit-in near the Palais de Tokyo museum in the 16th district of Paris after a brief standoff with anti-riot police who fired tear gas to push back the crowd which tried to break through security cordons.

Gathered in the Opera square, they called for a "citizens' initiative referendum" to allow people to have stronger say to define the economic and social roadmap for the eurozone's second main powerhouse.

By nightfall, security forces used water cannon to disperse the crowd in the Champs Elysees where traffic resumed and metro stations reopened after last protesters and small groups of troublemakers had quit the area.

"Yellow Vests" movement began on Nov. 17 to denounce the squeeze on household spending triggered by the president's plan to hike fuel tax to encourage motorists to switch to cleaner vehicles.

Despite having no leader, it has since turned into a bigger uprising which has lured people of all ages and backgrounds, with many criticizing the ex-investment banker for pursuing policies they say favor the rich and do nothing to help the poor.

With the social action posing a serious challenge to his leadership, Macron had offered a series of concessions that began with a review of the rate of tax on diesel and petrol every three months to take into account changes in global prices.

Failed to quell the anger, he capitulated earlier this month over plans for higher fuel taxes, his major U-turn since he took office about 18 months ago.

In a televised address to the nation on Monday, the president offered more concessions to dampen social roar via "an economic and social emergency plan," offering an increase in minimum wages and tax breaks.

He also decided tax-free status of overtime hour, cut taxes for pensioners and end-of-year bonus offered to workers.

Two polls published on Tuesday, following Macron's concessions, showed almost half of people thought that the protests should end to pave the way for dialogue with the government.

"France needs calm, order and a return to normal," the 40-year-old president told a news conference after a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels on Friday.

1 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

2 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

3 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

4 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

9 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。