Paris protesters, police clash around after Bastille Day paradeJuly 15, 2019 - 11:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French police fired tear gas at protesters during a tense standoff in central Paris on Sunday, July 14 in the aftermath of the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees, AFP reports. Officers attempted to disperse dozens of protesters, who chanted anti-government slogans, knocked down security barriers erected for the parade and set fire to refuse bins. France, in particular Paris, has been rocked since late last year by the "yellow vest" protest movement against the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Sunday's violence was the worst seen in central Paris since March. Many analysts had believed that the yellow vest movement had lost momentum. But the demonstrators in central Paris were not wearing the yellow vests that marked out the movement. Police had earlier not allowed those wearing the garments past barriers and some had carried yellow balloons instead. The clashes tarnished the July 14 national day that commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris during the French Revolution and is marked every year by a military parade. Macron sought to showcase European military cooperation in the parade, hosting key EU leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Earlier some protesters had jeered and whistled at Macron as he stood in an open-top command car alongside France's chief of staff General Francois Lecointre. Before the current clashes erupted, Paris authorities said 152 people had been detained. But the parade, which wrapped up at lunchtime, then passed without any hitch. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |