Paris court fines Yellow Vest protest leader

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS (AA) – A Paris court sentenced a Yellow Vest leader €2,000 ($2,240) on Friday for organizing two unauthorized protests, according to local reports.

Eric Drouet was found guilty of organizing the protests last December and this January.

Drouet's lawyer, Kheops Lara, told the press he would appeal the court's decision.

Drouet, a 34-year-old transport driver, and nearly 50 activists had gathered at Concorde Square, near Paris's Champs-Elysees, to commemorate those who were killed and injured on Jan. 2.

Shortly afterwards, police detained Drouet along with other activists on the grounds that the demonstration was unauthorized.

Drouet was also detained last December.

Earlier, prosecutors opened an investigation into Drouet for allegedly encouraging protestors to damage the Elysee Palace.

On Feb. 14, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning French authorities’ use of disproportionate violence against peaceful protests.

Since last November, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests -- dubbed the Yellow Vests -- have gathered in major French cities to protest French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the deteriorating economic situation.

Under pressure, Macron announced a rise in the minimum wage and scuttled the tax hikes.

The protests grew into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making.

In the protests, at least 11 people died, around 8,400 were detained, and over 2,000 were injured, and subsequently nearly 1,800 got prison sentences.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit from Ankara