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Will there be Gilets Jaunes protests in France this weekend?

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Will there be Gilets Jaunes protests in France this weekend?
Photo: AFP

Participation was up slightly at the 'yellow vest' protests last weekend in France. So, what have the Gilets Jaunes got planned for Acte XVI this Saturday?

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Several cities in France - including Paris, Lille and Lyon - will provide the settings for the 16th weekend of 'yellow vest' protests to take place since November last year.
 
Last Saturday, 46,000 anti-government protesters took to the streets of France, 5,000 more than during the previous weekend's demonstrations. 
 
Nevertheless, in general the numbers have been declining on the 282,000 peak at the start of the protests.
 
Here's a look at the events planned for Saturday March 2nd. 
 
Photo: AFP
 
Paris
 
Like previous weekends, the French capital will provide the focal point for the protests.
 
Nearly 5,000 people say they are "interested" in taking part in the most followed Paris event on Facebook, "Yellow Vests Acte 16: Insurrection". 
 
This event sees a return to the traditional 'yellow vest' system of not declaring the demonstrations in an effort to have a bigger impact on the police and government. 
 
On the Facebook page of another event called "Act 16: Yellow Vests united: We will not give up", about 2,000 people have indicated that they are interested in taking part.
 
However. the organisers of this event have specified that the gathering will be declared with a prefecture.
 
Both groups call on their members to meet at the Arc de Triomphe, which they plan to "occupy for as long as possible". 
 
Maxime Nicolle, one of the more controversial figures of the movement, has announced that he will demonstrate in Paris this Saturday. 
 
Lille
 
The 'yellow vests' are also planning a so-called "regional and international" event in the northern French city of Lille. 
 
The organisers of "Act 16: Europe in Lille" have translated the details of the event into both English and German, inviting their fellow Gilets Jaunes from Belgium, England, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and northern Germany to join in.  
 
They have also called on the 'yellow vests' of other cities, including Marseille and Toulouse, to create their own regional and international events, encouraging Toulouse to invite Gilets Jaunes from Spain and the southern French Occitanie region and Marseille to invite those from the south eastern Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, as well as 'yellow vests' from Italy. 
 
Controversial figure of the movement Eric Drouet has not yet indicated where he will be protesting this weekend, however he has shared the Lille event on his Facebook page.
 
Photo: AFP
 
Bordeaux
 
Around 1,700 people have said they are interested in taking part in tomorrow's event "Act 16: Saturday, March 2 in Bordeaux".
 
The protest will start with a picnic on Place de la Bourse, then the march itself is expected to begin at around 2 pm and should last three hours. Following that, there will be a citizens' meeting at 5 pm at Place de la Bourse or Place de l'Opéra.
 
While more 'yellow vests' took to the streets in France in general last Saturday, in the south western city numbers were down. 
 
According to the figures of the prefecture, 3,500 people were present, against 5,000 at the previous demonstration on February 16th. 
 
Lyon
 
Meanwhile around 5,500 people have indicated their interest in taking part in the Facebook event for tomorrow's 'yellow vest' demonstrations in Lyon. 
 
The plan is to hold a march, with all the protesters dressed in black to "symbolise their mourning for the future".
 
Protesters are set to meet in front of the Lyon courthouse, and people across the entire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region are invited to join.
 
Last Saturday, tensions erupted during the Lyon protests, with a total of 21 people arrested in the city centre. 
 
Rennes
 
Meanwhile the local authorities in Rennes have banned demonstrations this weekend, with Michèle Kirry, the prefect of Brittany denouncing the violence that takes place at the protests.
 

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