Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a travel advisory for citizens traveling to
France warning them against ongoing violent protests in Paris and across the
country.
The warning published Dec. 2 on the official website advised citizens who live
in France and will travel to the European country to avoid areas of
demonstrations, and not to be in places which could endanger their safety.
It also asked Turkish citizens to exercise caution while traveling through
highways and intercity roads, citing recent closure of roads, barricades, and
blockades.
The ministry also advised citizens living and traveling to France “to follow
local media, to follow further warnings of our French authorities, our ministry,
our embassy in Paris.”
Thousands of “yellow vest” protesters have gathered in Paris and several other
cities for the last two weeks to protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s
controversial fuel tax.
Demonstrators, who generally live in rural areas due to high rents in the city
center, have demanded from Macron a reduction in fuel taxes and to make economic
arrangements that will ease their lives.
The French police on Saturday cracked down on protesters around the famous
Champs-Elysees Street in capital Paris with tear gas and water cannons.
Demonstrators set a large number of vehicles and trash cans ablaze and pelted
stones and bottles at the police.
They called for Macron’s resignation and sprayed slogans against him on the
walls.
Some tried to cross the security barriers to the Elysee Palace but police
blocked them using tear gas.
Streets in several cities were closed for traffic.
According to French authorities, around 5,500 protesters marched onto streets in
Paris.
So far, at least two people have been killed and 890 people injured, while 158
of them are security officials, as well as 1,081 people have been detained and 9
protestors were sentenced to four months in prison during over two weeks of
demonstrations.
