People from across France came to Paris to let the president know how they feel about the taxes in general and the tax on diesel.

​Police Use Tear Gas as Thousands in Paris Defy Protest Ban

The WSJ reports Police Use Tear Gas as Thousands in Paris Defy Protest Ban.

Violence erupted Saturday between police and several thousand demonstrators who defied a protest ban and marched down the famous Parisian avenue Champs Elysées, as the country’s interior minister blamed the far-right for the unrest in the French capital.

On the Champs Elysées, some protesters sang the national anthem and waved French flags, while others carried signs urging the president to resign. Some threw stones at police, who responded by firing tear gas and water cannons. At least 130 people were detained across the nation on Saturday, including 42 in Paris, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.

Mr. Castaner blamed Marine Le Pen, head of the far-right party National Rally, for urging protesters to head to the Champs Elysées despite an official ban on demonstrations on the avenue.

“What justifies the fact that French people can’t protest on the Champs Elysées when many other gatherings (World Cup, New Year’s Eve…) happened there?” Ms. Le Pen tweeted on Friday. Ms. Le Pen didn’t attend the protests.

Can’t Afford to Eat

‘People are in the red. They can’t afford to eat’

Idir Ghanes, 42, Unemployed computer technician from Paris: We are here to protest against the government because of the rise in taxes [in general], not just petrol taxes, which is the straw that broke the camel’s back.