Violent protests in Paris spread to Brussels and Amsterdam last night, as 1,400 are arrested and French police call up to 8,000 reinforcements in a bid to quell the rising discontent.
The French ‘Yellow Vest’ protest movement crossed borders, with demonstrations in neighboring Belgium and in the Netherlands even though meither country has proposed a hike in fuel tax – the catalyst for the destructive demonstrations in France in recent weeks.
Hundreds of police officers were mobilised in Brussels on Saturday, where yellow vest protesters last week clashed with police and torched two police vehicles.
Belgian police fired tear gas and water cannons at stone-throwing yellow-vested protesters near the country’s government offices and parliament.
Protesters smashed street signs and traffic lights near a police barricade blocking access to the office of Prime Minister Charles Michel, as they chanted slogans calling on him to resign. They threw paving stones, fireworks, flares and other objects at police.
Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere says around 400 protesters are gathered in the area.
About 100 have been detained, many for possessing dangerous objects like fireworks or wearing clothing that could be used as protection in clashes with police.
More than 650 protesters were detained in France last night, as riots continued into the evening. The yellow vest protesters are angry with rising living costs and proposed tax hikes in France
The view of the Place de la Republique as riot police tried to keep protesters away from major landmarks but struggled with the weight of numbers
Smoke from grenades billows into the night sky as the Yellow Vests surround the Place de la Republique and a helicopter circles overhead……More Here