PARIS: French “yellow vest” demonstrators on Saturday staged their 20th week of anti-government protests despite hotspot bans and a plea from bank chiefs to end violence against branches.

The interior ministry said there were fewer protesters than a week earlier, estimating them at 5,600 for the country as a whole by mid-afternoon, a drop of almost 3,000 people.

Police were surprised by a jump in the numbers two weeks ago, and struggled to curb violence by highly-organised demonstrators who smashed shop windows and set fire to newspaper kiosks and a bank in the capital.

On Saturday, local authorities declared iconic sites such as the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris and the centres of Avignon, Bordeaux and Toulouse in southern France off limits to demonstrations.

The presidential Elysee palace and the National Assembly were also cordoned off by police.

President Emmanuel Macron has reacted to the Saturday protests, which began last November, by embarking on a cross-country tour as part of a “Great National Debate” aimed at encouraging disgruntled citizens to express themselves through a structured dialogue.

The protests began in rural France on November 17 over fuel tax increases and quickly ballooned into a full-scale anti-government rebellion.

A couple of thousand people turned out in Paris, this time marching peacefully to a plaza overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

A 62-year-old demonstrator who gave her first name as Monique vowed to continue protesting “as long as they (the government) have not given in to our demands, the RIC (citizen initiated referendum), increased purchasing power and pensions.

“Petrol prices fell when the demonstrations began, and have now risen higher than before,” she noted. “So they don’t give a damn about us.”

The French banking federation called for an end to attacks during “yellow vest” protests, saying that more than 760 banks had suffered damage since the movement began last year.

Banks have often been the targets of vandalism and arson during the protests, and 11 people were injured when a Banque Tarneaud branch was set on fire near the Champs-Elysees.

“We must quickly put a stop to this unbridled and unjustified violence,” the federation said in comments published in the daily Le Monde.

With the Paris authorities clamping down, regional protests came into focus.

In Montpellier, southern France, two police officers were slightly injured by projectiles during a protest by a couple thousand people. Five demonstrators were detained.

In northern Lille, officials closed off the city centre, but offered demonstrators an alternative path.

People who take part in unauthorised demonstrations risk an increased fine of 135 euros ($150).

In Bordeaux, where violent clashes have broken out during previous protests, Mayor Nicolas Florian shut down the city centre, saying he was “very concerned about what could happen.” Residents were urged to stay indoors to avoid unintended clashes with police.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019