YELLOW VESTS WEEK 24:  23,600 ESTIMATED BY GOVERNMENT, 60,132 BY YELLOW VESTS, STRASBOURG MAJOR PROTEST SITE

(NEWS, COMMENT AND ANALYSIS)

With some saying they were waiting until May 1st (Wednesday), the Yellow Vests came out onto the streets with both sides estimating smaller numbers than last week.

2600 estimated protesting by the government on the streets of Paris.  Two processions including one aimed at media buildings in protest of biased media coverage.   Yellow Vests gathered at the Place de la Republique for the conclusion of the protest late in the afternoon.

Here is a Ruptly video stream of today's protest.....RUPTLY VIDEO PARIS WEEK 24 YELLOW VESTS

Police were seen during the day conducting checks of people including checking their bags.    Police say they conducted 13,500 "preventive checks" in Paris today.    One place they did this was on the Champs-Elysees in the vicinity of the Arc de Triomphe.  The police say they made 14 arrests in Paris.

Strasbourg was designated as a major protest site today and  as is often the case the "black blocks" of anarchists show up at such sites and the police used tear gas there.   Here is video from the AFP news agency of today's protest there.....LINK     The "Huffington Post" offered up a video showing confrontations with police and arrests being made.....LINK

Five arrests reported in Strasbourg.

A procession of cars and motorcycles part of the Yellow Vests protest in Lyon today.  Here is video from France 3 television.......YELLOW VESTS LYON WEEK 24

In the south of France the Yellow Vests again on the streets of Montpellier.....LINK   Marseille also the scene of a protest......LINK

In the north France 3 television reporting 600 Yellow Vests in Lille today.....FRANCE 3 VIDEO FROM LILLE

Caen in Normandy also the site of protest today as shown in a speeded up video.....LINK   This five minute video shows the Yellow Vests in Rouen today.....LINK


To wrap it up nationwide Yellow Vests protests continued in France today with lower numbers estimated by both the government and the Yellow Vests themselves.

President Macron has laid out his pension increases indexed to inflation and income tax cuts on Thursday, his response to the Yellow Vests protests.

But higher gasoline taxes remain without the planned increase of January 1st this year.

Public opinion polling indicated that 65 percent were not satisfied with Macron's proposals and only 37 percent found them "credible".

While 60 percent of the public surveyed in a poll don't want the protests to continue with highest numbers coming from the young (18 to 24) and the retired (over 65), those of working age are still more supportive of the Yellow Vests protests continuing.

Supporters of the Left political party ("France Insubordinate") of Jean-Luc Melenchon are 60 percent in support of the protests continuing according to the polling.   They no doubt because they believe in militant rebellion and see Macron as a pro-business elitist.

Also in support at a roughly 60 percent level of the Yellow Vests protests continuing are supporters of  Marine Le Pen's National Rally.    They are opposed to the gasoline taxation and the hardships that Macron's policies have placed on working people and advocate for reforms like a citizen referendum to change laws.

The Left will come out again to protest on Wednesday (May Day).     And it looks like there will be more Yellow Vests protests in the Saturday's ahead at a level that remains to be seen.