‘Yellow vest’ anniversary protests lead to 254 arrests
November 17, 2019, 11:10 am

‘Yellow vest’ anniversary protests lead to 254 arrests

French police arrested 254 people during clashes in Paris and other cities on the first anniversary of the “yellow vest” movement. (File photo AFP)

French police arrested 254 people during clashes in Paris and other cities on the first anniversary of the “yellow vest” movement, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Sunday.

The violence in Paris, where police battled rioters for hours around the southeastern Place d’Italie square, was the worst in the French capital in months.

A total of 173 people were arrested in the city, Castaner told Europe 1 radio, revising upwards Saturday’s count of 147.

Dozens more were arrested in smaller protests in cities including Nantes, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Toulouse.

Further protests are planned Sunday.

Castaner claimed that there were “few demonstrators” among at the protesters Saturday in Paris, who he said were mainly “thugs, brutes who came to fight the security forces and prevent the emergency services from doing their work.”

Several cars were overturned or set alight, bus shelters were smashed and a monument to a World War II hero - Marshal Alphonse Juin – was defaced.

The windows of a major shopping centre and a neighboring hotel were also attacked by groups of stone-throwing demonstrators dressed in black, who wore masks to hide their faces.

The police, who had initially authorized the demonstration but declared it illegal after it turned violent, used tear gas and water cannon to try quell the unrest.

In rural France, the anniversary passed off generally peacefully, with thousands of yellow vests occupying the traffic roundabouts where the movement began last year over rising fuel taxes.

The interior ministry put the number of demonstrators at 28,600 nationwide but the organizers said nearly 40,000 people had rallied – a far cry from the estimated 282,000 who took part in the first big day of protests on November 17, 2018.

The leaderless yellow vests, who accuse President Emmanuel Macron of ruling on behalf of the urban elite, are adamant that they have not gone away.

They are now looking to join forces with the trade union movement, which is planning a major transport strike over pension reforms starting on December 5.

source:AFP

Trump visits medical center to start annual checkup Russia hands over Ukrainian Navy boats seized during ‘violation of territorial waters’ near Crimea in 2018

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.