France to Clamp Down on Unsanctioned Protests Amid ‘Yellow Vest’ Unrest

Protesters wearing yellow vests kneel on the street as they gather in front of the Opera House as part of the 'yellow vests' movement in Paris on Dec. 15, 2018. Reuters/Christian Hartmann

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced plans to punish people who hold unauthorized protests after weeks of anti-government unrest, including acts of violence.

Philippe made the comments on TF1 television after rioters in Paris’s upscale Boulevard Saint-Germain torched motorbikes and set barricades ablaze on Jan. 5.