Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Yellow vest protests: Man killed in France car crash after demonstrators block roundabout

Ten have been killed since the unrest began

Zamira Rahim
Saturday 22 December 2018 14:31 GMT
Comments
Protesters at a roundabout near Perpignan in November 2018
Protesters at a roundabout near Perpignan in November 2018 (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man has died in a car crash in the south of France, after vehicles at a roundabout were brought to a halt by so-called yellow vest (gilets jaune) protesters.

The fatality raises the death toll related to the anti-government protests to 10, with most people dying in traffic accidents.

Local authorities said the 36-year-old driver died after his car collided with the back of a lorry that had stopped near a group of protesters.

The crash occurred near the southern town of Perpignan.

Around 200 roundabouts across France were blocked on Saturday, during a sixth consecutive weekend of unrest.

But the streets were calmer than in previous weeks and fewer numbers of protesters had gathered to march, particularly in Paris, which has borne the brunt of the unrest.

On 1 December the French capital saw its worst urban riot in decades, with 133 injured and over 400 arrested.

On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators in southern France chanted “Macron resign” as they blocked traffic near the Spanish border.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The yellow vest protests began in November as a show of public anger against a rise in fuel tax, which was later scrapped.

The demonstrations have since grown to encompass widely felt frustration against French president Emmanuel Macron, with many protesters complaining that he governs only for the rich.

Additional reporting by agencies

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in