4 protesters suffer eye injuries: French minister

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS (AA) - The French interior minister admitted on Tuesday that four Yellow Vest protesters had suffered heavy eye injuries due to police intervention.

Christophe Castaner told the senate that some of them may lose sight in one eye.

The minister reiterated that 81 investigations had been opened by the IGPN, the country’s police oversight body.

The Yellow Vest protests, which started as a reaction to fuel tax hikes and evolved into a protest against President Emmanuel Macron, have continued despite the government’s call for them to halt.

Since Nov. 17, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests -- dubbed the Yellow Vests -- have gathered in major French cities, including Paris, to protest Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and deteriorating economic situation.

Demonstrators held protests blocking roads, as well as the entrances and exits to gas stations and factories across the country.

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

Since then, however, the protests have grown into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making.

At least 10 people have died, around 6,000 others have been detained and over 2,000 others have been injured in the protests.