Truck driver Eric Drouet, who has become one of the leaders of the grassroots movement, has announced that demonstrations will continue on Saturdays throughout April.

 

Drouet also told French news channel BFMTV that from now on the focus will shift between Paris and other large cities in France.

 

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Eric Drouet has emerged as one of the figureheads of the 'yellow vest' movement. Photo: AFP

 

After a day of relative calm last weekend, there are more demos planned for this Saturday April 6th, with a call for protesters to gather for a 'national demonstration' in Rouen.

 

The area's préfete Fabienne Buccio has responded by banning demonstrations in a large part of the city centre.

 

Police said they are monitoring the situation, and there is expected to be a heavy police presence.

 

A police spokesman said: “We are following this closely. Until the day before the event, we will not really know the extent to which this may take place. The system will be adapted accordingly, which means more staff if necessary.”

 

There are also plans for a large event in Dijon, with a call for protesters to meet in the Place de la Republique at 2pm.

 

In Paris, authorities have again banned demonstrations on the Champs-Elysées, which bore the brunt of violence that flared at the demonstrations on March 16th.

 

Instead, protesters in Paris are planning a series of smaller events at locations including the Place de la Republique, Montparnasse and the Place des Fetes.

 

There will be closures on the Metro at the following stations; Tuileries,  Concorde, Champs-Elysées Clemenceau, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Miromesnil, Varenne, Invalides, George V, Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Assemblée Nationale and Vaneau. But all of the Metro lines are set to remain open.

 

There could be other closures during the day if trouble flares in a particular spot in Paris. You can check closures over the weekend on the RATP site here. 

 

After rioters burned and looted on the Champs-Elysées on March 16th, the government has clamped down hard on people who set out to cause trouble at demonstrations.

 

The Champs-Elysées itself has been barred to protesters ever since, and several other cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rouen and Nice have introduced 'no go zones' for demonstraters.

 

The penalties for organising or attending unathorised demonstrations have also been toughened up. Demonstrators who defy protest bans will now face up to six months in prison and fines of up to €7,500, while those masking their faces could be fined up to €15,000.

 

But the French government suffered a setback on Thursday when the country's Constitutional Council ruled that plans to ban certain named individuals from taking part in protests could not be allowed as they gave officials “excessive latitude”.