"Over 1,000 sentences have been given in total. Around 5,600 people have been detained since the beginning of the [protest] movement," Philippe said as broadcast by TF1.
The yellow vest protests, named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers, were initially triggered by planned diesel price increase, but then evolved into a broader movement against government policies. The protests have not calmed down even after the government cancelled the planned diesel price hike and introduced a range of measures to resolve the social and economic crisis in the country.
The protests have been marked by violent clashes between yellow vest activists and police forces, with scores of detentions and injuries.
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