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WAR IN PARIS: RIOTS ROCK CITY... Macron remains invisible... America Next?
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Dec 7, 2018, 09:04am
Paris Is Burning Over Climate Change Taxes -- Is America Next?
Chuck DeVore Contributor
Policy Texas Public Policy Foundation VP and former California legislator
https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/9...%3Ffit%3Dscale
Photo by: KGC-580/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 11/24/18 Riots over rising fuel costs plunge Paris into chaos as police struggle to maintain order.KGC-580/STAR MAX/IPx
The City of Lights, Paris, has been illuminated in recent days by cars set alight by thousands of protesting “Yellow Vests”—largely middle class people who earn their living by driving or who commute to get to work. The cause of their ire is a scheduled 25 cents-per-gallon increase in gas taxes, and about 10 cents on diesel, to fight climate change.
French President Macron, deeply unpopular, just reversed course on the new green tax—Parisians are already paying about $7.06 per gallon for gasoline, almost half of that in taxes.
If Paris streets burned over a proposed 25 cents per gallon climate change tax, imagine the global conflagration over a $49 per gallon tax.
That’s what a United Nations special climate report calls for in 12 years, with a carbon tax of $5,500 per ton—equal to $49 per gallon of gasoline or diesel. That’s about 100 times today’s average state and federal motor fuels tax.
By 2100, the U.N. estimates that a carbon tax of $27,000 per ton is needed—$240 per gallon—to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Of course, that isn’t going to happen. The economic wreckage of such a punitive tax would plunge the global economy into a permanent depression—and that’s assuming politicians could enact such huge tax increases over the will of their voters.
Keep in mind that the unrest in France was triggered by a looming 25-cent hike, which is a little less than 10% more in taxes than French drivers already pay. To meet the $49 per gallon tax hike recommended by the U.N., fuel taxes in France would have to go up 17-fold.
The violent protests in France were fueled by intense frustration felt by a middle class that sees itself squeezed. They don’t earn enough to be part of the elite unconcerned with fuel taxes, but they work hard enough that they don’t qualify for the generous welfare benefits handed out to the nation’s poor and to newly arrived immigrants from Africa and the Middle East.
Here in America, Republicans in Congress passed a resolution against carbon taxes over the summer while Democrats embraced the concept in their party platform. Some incoming members of the new Democratic majority in the House are calling to create a select committee to map out a “Green New Deal” that would move the U.S. toward using 100% renewable energy for the electric grid while guaranteeing jobs for everyone.
In the meantime, opinion polls indicate that 54% of Americans do not believe global warming will cause major problems within their lifetimes.
So how do climate activists get their way? Some openly talk of imposing authoritarian governance to override democratic institutions. Former NASA climate researcher James Hansen suggested in 2007 that “the democratic process does not work.” Other scientists have called the threat of global warming the equivalent of war while calling for the crushing of dissent and the jailing of “deniers.”
Those who see climate change as a dire and urgent threat have some work to do to convince voters in the Western democracies to give up their way of life in exchange for unspecified benefits of a slightly less warm world—and that’s assuming China, India and over a billion people in Africa can be convinced not to try to pull themselves out of poverty—something that may only be done with greater use of fossil fuels.
Thus, one well-worn tactic employed by those who would presume to tell the rest of us how to live, where to live, and how to work—all of the good of the planet, of course—is the alarmist study, making copious use of lies of omission and commission.
An example of the former can be seen in the new National Climate Assessment. The report’s first chapter lists recent natural disasters, citing this summer’s deadly Carr Fire in California as an example. But while the report seeks to link wildfire to climate change, it glosses over the real reason fires have grown in intensity and size: the 30 years of increased environmental restrictions on logging, brush clearance and preventive burns that caused a massive and dangerous fuel buildup—a problem that was predicted years ago and has nothing to do with global warming.
The sin of commission in the service of scaring middle class voters into doing that they’re supposed to can be seen in an economic modeling study paid for by our federal tax dollars as well as underwritten by two billionaires who would be president: Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg. Here we’re told that the U.S. economy will take a 10% hit by 2100 unless we reduce our carbon emissions. Two problems, though: the authors assume the worst-case and least likely scenario, with average temperatures more than 14 degrees Fahrenheit hotter by 2100; and they derive two-thirds of their economic losses estimate by claiming a large amount of premature deaths due to the hotter temperatures.
The latter claim is highly problematic as death rates in regions far hotter than in the U.S. aren’t meaningfully different, when accounting for the standard of living. Why? People adapt rather easily.
This makes for scary headlines in the New York Times or CNN, but it is far from sound science or even good economics.
The bottom line is this: economic freedom—the kind you get with a large middle class—leads to prosperity, economic growth, and technological innovation. And it’s these three things: wealth, growth and technology, which allows humans to thrive on planet Earth, not $240 per gallon fuel taxes imposed by an elite that cares not for the masses.
Chuck DeVore is Vice President of National Initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He was a California Assemblyman and is a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Retired Reserve.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckde.../#49d54db632ed
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As protests rages in France, Macron remains invisible
By SYLVIE CORBET yesterday
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FILE - In this Nov.27, 2018 file photo, French President Emmanuel Macron leaves after delivering a speech on 'The presentation of the strategy for ecology transition', at the Elysee Palace in Paris. As protests rage through France and Paris locks down fearing new riots, the man whose presidency unleashed the anger is nowhere to be seen. President Emmanuel Macron has stayed out of the public eye all week, leaving his unpopular government to try to calm the nation. Behind reads: Change together (Ian Langsdon, Pool via AP, File)
PARIS (AP) — As anti-government protests rage through France and Paris locks down, fearing new riots, the man whose presidency has unleashed the anger is nowhere to be seen.
French President Emmanuel Macron has stayed out of the public eye all week, leaving his unpopular government to try to calm the nation. In response, “Macron, resign!” has become the main slogan of the “yellow vest” demonstrators.
The protesters’ anger has been directed at the French leader, who they feel has been the “president of the rich” and is out-of-touch with ordinary people.
Macron’s pro-business reforms have aimed to make the French economy more competitive globally, but French workers see the changes as brutal and weakening their rights.
Macron, whose popularity plummeted in recent months, is also widely seen as arrogant, which comes out when he tells an unemployed man he can find a job if he “crosses the street,” or advising a retiree not to complain.
The 40-year-old leader mostly spent the week holding closed-door meetings in the Elysee presidential palace, which many protesters see as an ivory tower where he is hiding away from the people.
The president’s office said he would not speak before Saturday’s anti-government protests.
Normally Macron is a president who likes the limelight, one who has sought a prominent place on the world stage since his surprise election last year.
Just a week ago, he was basking in the international limelight at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, challenging U.S. President Donald Trump on climate change and protectionist trade measures.
As he met with other world leaders last weekend, images of burning barricades in Paris and the Arc de Triomphe monument in a cloud of tear gas were all over the television screens.
Just back from Argentina, Macron went directly to the Arc de Triomphe to see the damages to the monument but the media was not allowed to ask him questions or come close. On Monday he had a discreet lunch with anti-riot police officers in eastern Paris, again without press.
The next day, he paid a two-hour unannounced visit to Puy-en-Velay, in central France, where protesters earlier had set the provincial government’s headquarters on fire. A few local reporters and other journalists who were there by chance reported that Macron was booed and insulted by a small crowd.
On Friday evening, Macron paid a quick visit to anti-riot security forces that were to be deployed Saturday in the French capital. No media was there. His office said he met with about 60 police officers at a fort east of Paris and thanked them for their service.
Instead, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has been sent to the front lines to face opposition lawmakers at parliament and explain the government’s security measures on television.
In France, the president traditionally makes the key policy choices, especially in the fields of defense and foreign policy, while the prime minister is in charge of day-to-day decisions, especially those related to domestic issues.
Macron doesn’t face re-election until 2022 and his party has a strong majority in parliament —yet his ability to pass sweeping reforms may be weakened by the yellow vests movement.
Observers have suggested that Philippe’s resignation might ultimately be considered as a way to protect Macron —especially if the mood in France doesn’t calm down. But Philippe on Thursday rejected suggestions that he should quit.
https://apnews.com/3b7d4a322df34823b448dabd46e2e03a
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Police repel Paris protesters attempting to converge on France's presidential palace
Police forces stand in front of protesters near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Dec. 8, 2018.
(Zakaria Abdelkafi/ AFP/Getty Images)
Angela Charlton and John Leicester Associated Press
French riot police fired tear gas and water cannon in Paris on Saturday, trying to stop thousands of yellow-vested protesters from converging on the presidential palace to express their anger at high taxes and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Security officials imposed a lockdown on parts of central Paris, determined to prevent a repeat of the rioting a week ago that damaged a major monument, injured 130 people and tarnished the country's global image.
Blue armored vehicles rumbled across cobblestone streets from the Arc de Triomphe across toward eastern Paris as scattered demonstrations spread around the city. Police were mounted on horses and surrounded protesters with trained dogs. A ring of steel surrounded the Elysee Palace itself, as police stationed trucks and reinforced steel barriers in streets throughout the entire neighborhood.
Associated Press reporters witnessed multiple protesters hurt in Saturday's clashes with police. Paris police said 30 people were injured, including three police officers. An AP video journalist was wounded in the leg as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on the Champs-Elysees.
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Protesters clash with riot police amid tear gas on the Champs Elysees in Paris on Dec. 8, 2018.
(Lucas Barioulet/ AFP/Getty Images)
Some stores along the Champs-Elysee had boarded up their windows with plywood, making the neighborhood appear like it was bracing for a hurricane. Angry protesters on Saturday tried to rip the boards off.
Protesters threw flares and other projectiles and set fires but were repeatedly pushed back by tear gas and water cannon. By mid-afternoon, more than 700 people had been stopped and questioned, and more than 400 were being held in custody, according to a Paris police spokeswoman.
Despite the repeated skirmishes, Saturday's anti-government protests appeared less chaotic and violent than a week ago, when crowds defaced the Arc de Triomphe, set vehicles ablaze and looted high-end stores in the city's worst rioting since 1968.
Prized Paris monuments and normally bustling shopping meccas were locked down Saturday at the height of the holiday shopping season. The Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum were among the many tourist attractions that closed for the day, fearing damages amid a new round of protests. Subway stations in the center of town were shut down.
The yellow vest movement — named after the fluorescent outerwear French drivers must keep in their vehicles — started as a protest against higher taxes for diesel and gas, but quickly expanded to encompass wide frustration at stagnant incomes, the rising cost of living and other grievances.
Macron on Wednesday agreed to abandon the fuel tax hike, which aimed to wean France off fossil fuels and uphold the Paris climate agreement, but that hasn't defused the anger.
After two weekends of violence in Paris that made the authorities look powerless, police went into overdrive Saturday to keep a lid on unrest. Police frisked people or searched bags throughout central Paris, and confiscated gas masks and protective goggles from AP journalists.
Protesters who came to Paris from Normandy described seeing officers block yellow-vested passengers from boarding public transportation at stops along their route. The national gendarme service posted a video on Twitter of police tackling a protester and confiscating his dangerous material, which appeared to be primarily a tennis racket.
Macron's government had warned that the yellow vest protests had created a "monster" and that Saturday's protests would be hijacked by radicalized and rebellious crowds.
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Riot police clash with protesters near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Dec. 8, 2018.
(Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images)
Demonstrators waving French flags, shouting the French anthem and wearing the movement's signature neon vests gathered before dawn Saturday near the Arc de Triomphe, then tried to march down the Champs-Elysees Avenue toward the presidential palace.
Rows of helmeted, thickly protected riot police blocked their passage down the Champs-Elysees toward the heart of presidential power. So the protesters tried other routes, marching through the prime shopping district that includes the high-end stores of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps and the Palais Garnier opera house.
National police estimated the number of protesters in Paris on Saturday at 8,000, among 31,000 protesters nationwide. They appeared to be outnumbered by police, with 8,000 officers deployed in the capital alone and 89,000 fanned out around the country.
The yellow vests include people with views that range from the far right to the far left. The group has no leaders but is united in its feeling that Macron and his government are out of touch with the concerns of ordinary French families.
"We are here to tell (Macron) our discontent. Me, I'm not here to break things because I have four children so I am going to try to be safe for them, because they are afraid," protester Myriam Diaz told the AP. "But I still want to be here to say 'Stop, that's enough, this has to stop.'"
Cyril, a garbage truck driver in Normandy who earns $1,625 a month, said Macron's mistake was trying to reform France too quickly.
"I don't want to have kids because I have trouble feeding myself, let alone another mouth," the 25-year-old told the AP, saying he came to Paris to demonstrate and "defend myself."
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner urged calm.
"I ask the yellow vests that want to bring about a peaceful message to not go with the violent people. We know that the violent people are only strong because they hide themselves within the yellow vests, which hampers the security forces," he said Saturday.
Four people have been killed in accidents since the unrest began Nov. 17. Christmas markets, national soccer matches and countless other events have been canceled due to the protests.
Protesters also blocked roads, roundabouts and tollbooths elsewhere in France. Offshoot movements have emerged elsewhere, and yellow-vest protests were held Saturday in Belgium and the Netherlands.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought to fuel the anger in France, seizing the moment to criticize the Paris climate accord, which he is abandoning.
"People do not want to pay large sums of money ... in order to maybe protect the environment," he tweeted.
Many economists and scientists, however, say higher fuel taxes are essential to saving the planet from worsening climate change.
Srdjan Nedeljkovic, Philippe Marion and Milos Krivokapic contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...208-story.html
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Live tweets and videos being updated as they are posted
Live: Tear gas, mass arrests as new Yellow Vest protests spread in Paris
https://www.france24.com/en/20181208...i-macron-riots
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Wait until they sign UN Migration Pact and hordes of uneducated, disease infected, breeding parasites get dumped on their backs to pay for!
They will raise your taxes, you will be raped and murdered, your women will NOT be safe any time of the day!
There will be rampant crime...YOU will be on your own!
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Watch Live: Paris On Lockdown - Tear Gas Fired, Mass Arrests Amid "Act IV" Yellow Vest Protest Chaos
Sat, 12/08/2018 - 10:10
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Paris police resorted to extreme crowd-control measures on Saturday as tens of thousands of "Yellow Vest" protesters descended on the French capital for a fourth weekend of chaos which began over fuel taxes and quickly morphed into general outrage at the Macron government.
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Tear gas was fired at the protesters who were shouting "Macron, resign" near Champs-Elysees avenue. At least 575 were arrested in Paris of the more than 700 demonstrators arrested countrywide, according to Secretary of State to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, as cited by French media.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...jpg&name=small Dozens of people were arrested carrying "masks, hammers, slingshots and rocks," according to AFP.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...jpg&name=small Philippe on Friday evening met a delegation of self-described "moderate" yellow vests who urged people not to join the protests.
A spokesman from the movement, Christophe Chalencon, said Philippe had "listened to us and promised to take our demands to the president".
"Now we await Mr Macron. I hope he will speak to the people of France as a father, with love and respect and that he will take strong decisions," he said. -AFP
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Paris has gone into lockdown as authorities and businesses prepare for the mayhem - as shops, banks, restaurants and other businesses boarded up to prevent anticipated looting and property destruction. As we reported on thursday, the Eiffel Tower will be among the shuttered tourist attractions around the city.
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Right after 10:00 a.m. local time the rally turned violent and police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd and deployed their fleet of VBRG armored vehicles next to the Arc de Triomphe, which was the site to last week's most intense violence.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...jpg&name=small The US embassy issued a warning to Americans currently in Paris to "keep a low provile and avoid crowds," while Portugal, Belgium and the Czech Republic suggested the postponement of any planned visits.
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Armoured cars with machine guns and grenade launchers to patrol Paris
Several Videos at the page link
France braces for 'ULTRA-VIOLENT' protests, with 89,000 cops on the streets and shops boarded up as demonstrators vent fury at Macron's reforms despite the President caving in to Yellow Vest demands
- A dozen Berliet VXB-170s vehicles will patrol Paris this weekend, said French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe
- The armoured cars usually equipped with 7.62mm machine gun and 56mm Alsetex Cougar grenade launcher
- Comes amid fears so-called Yellow Vest protesters will once again bring chaos to Paris over the weekend
- Prime Minister Edouard Philippe listened to their demands at a meeting on Friday night to try to avert violence
By Peter Allen In Paris for MailOnline and Ap
Published: 05:16 EST, 7 December 2018 | Updated: 20:27 EST, 7 December 2018
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France is bracing for 'ultra-violent' protests' this weekend with 89,000 police on the streets and shops boarded up as demonstrators vent their fury at President Emmanuel Macron's reforms.
A dozen armoured cars equipped with machine guns will also patrol parts of Paris as the French government attempts to avoid urban warfare tomorrow amid fears thousands will bring chaos to the streets.
The Yellow Vests – fuel price protesters named after their high visibility jackets – will be joined by groups from the far-Right and the hard-Left in a mass show of anger against Macron's administration on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Eiffel Tower will be closed, 8,000 police officers will be deployed in the French capital alone and 14 'high-risk' sectors will be cleared out - including one containing the world-renowned and glitzy Champs-Elysees avenue.
Seven members of the Yellow Vest movement said they were satisfied after their meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on the eve of anti-government protests that authorities fear could turn violent.
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On the march: Hundreds of students in Toulouse gathered today for a protest over education reforms which include stricter university entrance requirements
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Protesters torched bins as they gathered in Paris today. Across the country some 89,000 police will be mobilised over the weekend
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Yellow vests are hung outside windows of an apartment building in Marseille, southern France, today, in support of the protesters
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A demonstrator kicks a smoke grenade shot by riot police during a demonstration by high school students in Lyon today
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Workers set up protection on shop windows on the Champs-Elysees avenue amid fears of widespread rioting tomorrow
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This was the scene on the Champs-Elysee today as workers fixed wooden boards to shop windows to protect businesses ahead of expected riots in the French capital this weekend
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Flash point: Police arrest a protester during a demonstration of high school students in front of the Prefecture of Lille today
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A dozen Berliet VXB-170s (file picture) will be deployed against thousands of demonstrators who have pledged to bring chaos to the capital, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed
One of the participants to the meeting, Christophe Chalancon, told reporters the delegation of protesters called for measures aimed at improving the workers' salaries and the purchasing power of the French. The prime minister 'listened to us', he said.
Another participant, Jacline Mouraud, said that 'we are now waiting for the President to speak.'
Last week, a planned meeting between Philippe and representatives of the movement collapsed amid threats from some demonstrators and after a request to broadcast the talks live was rejected.
This afternoon, Interior minister Christophe Castaner warned 'some ultra-violent people want to take part' in the riots. At the height of the festive shopping season, many Paris store owners were boarding up their shop fronts.
Macron has agreed to abandon the fuel tax hike that triggered the movement. However, protesters' demands have now expanded to other issues hurting French workers, retirees and students.
Officials are set to deploy 12 Berliet VXB-170s, which are usually equipped with a 7.62mm machine gun and a 56mm Alsetex Cougar grenade launcher.
'We will use a dozen armoured gendarmerie vehicles because we have in front of us people who are not there to demonstrate but to smash up,' Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on a live interview on TF1.
They are designed to break down barricades and to advance on crowds during riots, but are hardly ever used on the French mainland.
Some entered housing estates on the outskirts of major cities such as Paris during riots in 2005, when mainly suburban youths went on the rampage.
A total of 106 out of 109 squads of gendarmes will mobilise across France this weekend, along with other paramilitaries groups such as the Republican Security Companies (CRS).
Up until now, police chiefs have insisted that armoured vehicles were not necessary, but last Saturday the Arc de Triomphe itself was attacked, and there were more than 400 arrests.
Crisis-ridden Mr Macron has climbed down on imposing green surcharges in a bid to prevent more savage rioting, but his strategy is failing.
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Riot police stand next to a burning bin after it was set alight during a demonstration by school students in Place de la Republique in Paris today
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High school students stand on the defaced statue of the Republic in the Place de la Republique in Paris today. Yet more violence is predicted this weekend
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High school students in Paris re-enact yesterday's student arrest in Mantes-la-Jolie, where students were seen kneeling with their hands on their heads
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After several days of blocking Marseille's high schools, several thousand high school students took to the streets to make their anger heard over planned school reforms today
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Up in flames: Bins were torched in the street as protesters blocked schools during another day of unrest in Marseille today
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A car was overturned as protests turned violent in Marseille today. The government has drawn widespread criticism for letting a demonstration flare into a rampage during last weekend's clashes between protesters and police in the French capital
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So far the government has excluded declaring a state of emergency, which would see army units deployed to protect sites at risk. This was the scene in Marseille today amid student protests
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The Yellow Vests said their protests would continue indefinitely as they campaign for even more tax reductions. This was the scene in Marseille today where a car was flipped and torched during a protest over school reforms
The Yellow Vests said their protests would continue indefinitely as they campaign for even more tax reductions.
There have been calls for a State of Emergency to be announced, and for the Army to take to the streets, as some 4,500 police in Paris at times lost all control of the streets last week.
The current spate of Paris violence is considered the worst since the Spring of 1968, when President Charles de Gaulle's government feared a full-blown revolution.
The independent Mr Macron, leader of the Republic On The Move party, won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, but he is now dubbed the 'President of the Rich' with polls showing his popularity rating down to just 18 per cent.
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said today that a three-week-old rebellion over taxes had spawned 'a monster'.
On the eve of a fourth set of demonstrations in the capital in as many weeks, Castaner vowed 'zero tolerance' towards those hoping to enact a repeat of last weekend's destruction and mayhem.
'These past three weeks have seen the birth of a monster that has escaped its creators,' a grave-looking Castaner told a press conference.
'It's time now for dialogue,' he urged.
Shops around the famous Champs-Elysees boulevard - epicentre of last week's battle between police and protesters - were battening down the hatches on Friday.
The sound of hammers and power tools rang out along the Grande Armee avenue as shops boarded up windows and emptied their stock.
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Store windows are protected with panels on the Champs Elysees ahead of expected anti-government protests to be held in Paris and across France
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A worker cleans a graffiti reading 'long term unrest' near the Champs-Elysees avenue this afternoon. There are fears of further riots over the weekend
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The sound of hammers and power tools rang out along the Grande Armee avenue as shops boarded up windows and emptied their stock
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Tear gas was used in a bid to disperse high school students as they demonstrated in Lyon this afternoon. There are fears of further violent scenes this weekend
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Crowds of protesters packed the streets Stalingrad to place de la Republique in Paris today as students rallied against education reforms
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Stand-off: Riot police stand in formation as they confront protesters in Lyon. Amid the violence, French retailers said they have lost around 1 billion euros in revenue since the start of the 'yellow vest' protests in the country last month
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Much of Paris will be in lockdown on Saturday and tens of thousands of police deployed across the nation to contain what protesters are billing as 'Act IV' to the 'yellow vest' rebellion that has seen the worst unrest in the capital since 1968 student riots. This was the scene in Lyon today
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Macron this week gave in to on some of the protesters' demands for measures to help the poor and struggling middle classes, including scrapping a planned increase in fuel taxes
What do the yellow vest protesters want?
The yellow vest protests have gained traction online and taken in a huge range of groups from the radical far left to the nationalist far right, and moderates in between. Here are some of the many groups involved:
Fuel protesters
The 'gilet jaune' (yellow vest) movement sprang up in late October against increases in fuel taxes announced as part of President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to pursue clean energy policies.
Anger in rural areas
Many accuse Macron, dubbed the 'President of the Rich' as out of touch with ordinary people and of favouring wealthy city-dwellers with his policies.
Key workers
The likes of IT workers, secretaries, factory staff, care professionals and delivery workers who say low incomes mean they cannot make ends meet.
Demands include a minimum pension, widespread changes to the tax system, and a reduction in the retirement age.
Road transport
Unions say drivers have been affected by changes to overtime payments which may affect the purchasing power of their members
Students
Angry at plans to reform the exam system, which they fear will limit opportunity and breed inequality.
Political extremists
Officials say groups from the hard left and far right have hijacked the yellow vest movement to further their causes.
'We can't take the risk,' said a manager at a Ducati motorcycle dealership, as employees loaded luxury Italian racers onto trucks for safekeeping.
Last week, the store was looted of 120,000 euros' worth of merchandise.
Leading museums and landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, have also said they will remain closed on Saturday.
The US embassy issued a warning to its citizens in Paris to 'keep a low profile and avoid crowds'.
The French government has warned peaceful protesters to stay away from Paris on Saturday and vowed a tough response in the event of trouble.
Police are already battling accusations Friday of being heavy-handed, with a video of high-school pupils kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads causing widespread outrage.
'Whatever wrong was done, nothing justifies this filmed humiliation of minors,' Socialist leader Olivier Faure tweeted.
'There is no need to pour even more oil on the flames,' Faure warned after the mass round-up of teens following protests at a school in the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie, where two cars were burned.
Laurent Saint-Martin, a senior member of Macron's Republic On The Move (LREM) party, said around 40 of the students were masked and carrying equipment for use in vandalism and arson.
But he too described the videos as 'shocking'.
Meanwhile, French retailers have lost around 1 billion euros in revenue since the start of the protests in the country last month, the French retail federation (FCD) told Reuters on Friday.
The federation, which regroups large supermarket groups like Carrefour or Casino, has warned that the protests could spoil the crucial Christmas shopping season.
The 'yellow vest', named after the safety jackets worn by demonstrators, began blocking roads, fuel depots and shopping centres around France on November 17 over fuel price hikes.
Protests at dozens of schools over stricter university entrance requirements, and a call by farmers for demonstrations next week, have added to a sense of general revolt.
Four people have died so far in accidents during the yellow vest protests and political leaders from across the spectrum have appealed for calm.
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Armoured cars equipped with machine guns will police the streets of Paris as the French government attempts to avoid urban warfare. This was the scene in Lille today as students protested in front of the lycee Montebello
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The Eiffel Tower will be closed, 8,000 police officers will be deployed in the French capital and 14 'high-risk' sectors will be cleared out - including one containing the world-renowned and glitzy Champs-Elysees avenue. Pictured: Workers examine a security camera at the Eiffel Tower
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Preparations: Workmen fix wooden boards over windows in Paris today amid warnings of violent protests in the capital over the weekend
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Stand-off: Riot police face high school students demonstrating in front of the Prefecture of Lille, northern France today
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The Yellow Vests – fuel price protesters named after their high visibility jackets – will be joined by groups from the far-Right and the hard-Left in a mass show of anger against President Emmanuel Macron's administration on Saturday. Pictured: Police confront protesters in Lille today
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A total of 106 out of 109 squads of gendarmes will mobilise across France this weekend, along with other paramilitaries groups such as the Republican Security Companies (CRS). Pictured: Protesters in Paris today
The protesters, mainly from rural and small-town France, accuse Macron of favouring the rich and city-dwellers with his policies. Many are calling on him to resign.
Castaner on Friday estimated the number of people still taking part in demonstrations at 10,000 nationwide.
'10,000 is not the people, it's not France,' he argued, despite polls showing them enjoying strong support.
Macron's "cardinal sin", in the eyes of the protesters, was to slash wealth taxes shortly after taking office, while hiking taxes on pensioners and cutting housing benefits.
The 40-year-old former investment banker has so far ruled out re-imposing the "fortune tax" on high-earners, arguing it is necessary to boost investment and create jobs.
But his climbdown on anti-pollution fuel taxes - intended to help France transition to a greener economy - marks a major departure for a leader who had prided himself on not giving into street protests.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe signalled a willingness to make further concessions, saying the government was ready to consider "any measure which would allow us to boost spending power".
Macron himself has not commented publicly on the crisis since his return from the G20 summit in Argentina a week ago. He has signalled he will address the protests early next week.
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STAND YOUR GROUND!
GET IT DONE AND OVER WITH NOW BEFORE NWO GOES ANY FURTHER!
DEMAND ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE LOADED ON BARGES AND SENT HOME!
LOAD 'EM UP, MOVE 'EM OUT....RAWHIDE!!!
