The Latest: Survey shows French protests knocked business
Posted December 14, 2018 3:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PARIS — The Latest on anti-government protests in France (all times local):
11:55 a.m.
A survey suggests the “yellow vest” protests in France have dealt a significant blow to business activity in the country’s services sector, which includes tourism and retail.
The so-called purchasing managers’ index, which measures activity in various parts of an economy, fell to 49.6 points in December for France’s services sector. That is down sharply from November’s 55.1 points. The index, published Friday by data firm IHS Markit, is on a 100-point scale, with the 50 mark separating expansion from contraction.
Eliot Kerr, economist at IHS Markit, said the data points to “an outright contraction in France’s private sector for the first time in two-and-a-half years, following the protests which have swept through the country in recent weeks.”
The “yellow vest” protests began as demonstrations against a fuel tax and have expanded into sometimes violent marches across the country to protest the policies of President Emmanuel Macron.
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9:15 a.m.
Anticipating a fifth straight weekend of violent protests, Paris’ police chief says armoured vehicles and thousands of officers will be deployed again in the French capital on Saturday.
Michel Delpuech told RTL radio on Friday security services intend to deploy the same numbers and strength as last weekend, with about 8,000 officers and 14 armoured vehicles again in Paris.
Delpuech said the biggest difference will be the deployment of more groups of patrol officers to catch vandals who roamed streets around the Champs Elysees last weekend, causing damage and pillaging.
A sixth “yellow vest” protester was killed this week, hit by a truck at a protest roadblock. Despite calls from authorities urging protesters to stop the protests, the movement rocking the country has showed no signs of abating.
The Associated Press
