프랑스 전역에서 항의 시위로 부상자 다수 발생

프랑스에서는 8일 마크롱 정권의 개혁에 항의하는 대규모 시위가 북부 릴에서 남부 마르세유까지 각지에서 열려 총 12만 5천 명이 참가했습니다.

이 가운데 파리에서는 관광지인 샹젤리제 거리에 항의의 상징이 된 노란조끼를 입은 사람들이 모였습니다.

참가자들은 마크롱 대통령의 퇴진을 요구하며 행진했으나 일부는 차량에 불을 붙이거나 돌을 던지며 폭도로 변했습니다.

이에 치안부대가 최루탄과 방수차 등을 동원했는데 내무부에 따르면 시위 참가자와 치안부대에서 총 135명이 부상했으며 1300명 이상이 체포됐습니다.

프랑스에서는 유류세 인상에 대한 반발을 계기로 지난달 이후 마크롱 정권에 대한 항의시위가 전국으로 확산되고 있습니다.

이 사태에 대해 필립 수상은 성명을 발표하고 "시위대와의 대화는 시작됐다"며 "대화와 노력으로 국가의 연대를 다시 구축해야 한다"고 말해 마크롱 대통령이 대책을 내놓을 것이라고 밝혔습니다.

여러 현지 언론은 대책이 다음주 초에 발표될 것이라고 전해 사태 수습으로 이어질지 주목됩니다.

                                                       Many more people were detained on 8 December than during the previous weekends.

In pictures: France's latest protests

 A selection of the most striking images as anti-government demonstrators clash with police.

Anti-government protests in France are continuing for a fourth weekend. Thousands of "yellow vest" demonstrators gathered in Paris on Saturday morning, and were met by a bolstered police force that had closed off much of the city.

The movement began last month in opposition to fuel tax rises which have since been scrapped. But it has morphed into a larger demonstration of anger at high living costs and President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies.

Vast swathes of Paris, where many of the demonstrators are gathered, is on lockdown. Shops have been boarded up and famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, are closed. This image shows hundreds of protesters surging towards a line of police officers.

The police fired tear gas in response which forced the protesters to quickly retreat. The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the police are using different tactics this weekend and are much more mobile, moving out of their positions to push back demonstrators.

"We have come here for a peaceful march, not to smash things," one protester told Reuters news agency. "We want equality, we want to live, not survive." But on social media, some activists have called for attacks on police and the Elysée Palace.

This demonstrator, pictured near the Champs-Elysées in Paris, applies eyedrops after being caught in the clouds of tear gas. Scores of people were injured in last week's protests, which were some of the worst street clashes in Paris for decades.

This time around the tension has been more sporadic. Bins have been set on fire and he police have used water cannon against the protesters, but the level of violence is far less than last weekend.

Projectiles have been thrown at the police in the few confrontations that have occurred. This image shows a protester throwing back a tear gas canister

Officials say 500 people have been stopped by the police and, of those, at least 272 are in custody. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the numbers of arrests were greater than during the whole of the previous weekend.

Demonstrations are also being held in several other cities including Lyon, Marseille and Grenoble. They have even spread to Belgium where about 70 people have been arrested.