Yellow vests protesters arrested after motorway toll station burnt down

Seventeen people were arrested early on Tuesday after “yellow vest” protesters burnt down a motorway toll station in Bandol, southern France, overnight.

Marie, one of about 50 “yellow vests” at the toll station, which had been occupied by protesters for about a month, told French radio: “Macron doesn’t understand the soft way. That’s why we’re doing it the hard way.”

Across the country police began clearing roadblocks manned by protesters. 

There was little resistance as the “yellow vests” were heavily outnumbered, but in Brittany demonstrators furious at being evicted from a makeshift camp on a roundabout went on to block two lanes of a nearby motorway.

Julien, a protester, said: “Police moved us off the roundabout but this isn’t the end of the movement.”

Many “yellow vests” voiced anger that the motorway operator, the Vinci company, is demanding toll payment from millions of motorists who drove through while they were occupied.

Their number plates were automatically photographed, but François de Rugy, the environment minister, said it would be difficult for Vinci to collect the money.

“In reality, it’s doubtless the state that will have to foot most of the bill… or it will somehow be passed on to motorists through toll charges.” 

Regular increases in motorway tolls annoy most French motorists and commentators pointed out that Vinci’s profit increased by nearly 30 per cent last year to more than £1.5 billion.

Benjamin Griveaux, a cabinet minister and government spokesman, also criticised Vinci’s decision. “I invite the executives of the Vinci group to go to the roundabouts. It is necessary to hear what the French people have said.”

As the numbers of “yellow vest” demonstrators dwindle, police are beginning a protest against planned budget cuts and to demand better working conditions. 

Officers belonging to the Alliance union, which represents about a third of the force, are to occupy their stations and refuse to go out except in response to emergency calls from Wednesday. 

Members of another union have already started “minimum service” as parliament prepares to debate the security and police budget on Thursday. French law bans police from going on strike.

Officers complain of being forced to work unpaid overtime during three years of unprecedented mobilisation against the terror threat and more than four weeks of “yellow vest” protests. 

The government argues that protesters should dismantle their barricades and express their grievances at town hall meetings to be held across the country in an attempt to increase public involvement in policy-making.

Emmanuel Macron, the president, launched the “grande consultation nationale” on Tuesday, meeting ministers, employers and union leaders to prepare for the debates, but the details of the exercise remain vague.