Paris Mayor: City Can’t Withstand Another ‘Weekend of Chaos’

(Bloomberg) -- The French capital can’t endure “a third weekend of chaos” after “Yellow Vests” protests on Saturday led to violent clashes with police and damage to buildings in the touristic center of the city, the president of the greater Paris region, Valerie Pecresse, said on Monday.

The Republicans head of Ile-de-France told CNews television that while security measures had been “inadequate,” it should be possible to maintain order without declaring a state of emergency.

“There is of course a right to demonstrate, but there isn’t a right to take a capital city hostage,” Pecresse said. “We need to take the measures necessary to restore order.”

The grassroots “Yellow Vests” movement has led to two weeks of sporadic and mostly peaceful blockades of roads, fuel depots and warehouses, but a protest Saturday in Paris turned violent, with over 100 injured and more than 400 arrested.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Regan in Paris at jregan65@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Geraldine Amiel at gamiel@bloomberg.net, Angeline Benoit

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