A yellow vest activist’s hand was ripped apart on Saturday as protesters tried to storm the French National Assembly in the 13th consecutive Saturday of violent clashes in the capital. The injured protester lost four fingers and shocking footage shows fellow protesters and paramedics gathering around the man. Police could not confirm French media reports that his hand was blown up by a grenade used to break up unruly crowds. A man lost four fingers during the violent protest (Picture: Ruptly) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It is the 13th consecutive weekend of violent clashes in the French capital (Picture: AFP) A Sentinelle security operation car could be seen burning on the sidelines of a demonstration (Picture: AFP) Men destroyed shop windows near Champs-Elysees (Picture: AFP) As scuffles broke out in front of the National Assembly and French police, paramedics huddled around the injured protester at the National Assembly gates, providing emergency treatment and stopping bystanders from getting too close. Harry takes new swipe at royals saying families feel 'shame' over mental health Police carrying rubber bullets used batons and fired tear gas in Paris to disperse demonstrators, some of whom threw debris at riot police. Fire department spokesman Gildas Lecoeur said that the injured man was taken to a hospital, but he couldn’t confirm his current condition. The yellow vest movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against French President Emmanuel Macron’s policies and ‘top-down’ style of governing. A protester faced police officers amid tear gas smoke outside the National Assembly (Picture: AFP) Cars were set ablaze on the sideline of the yellow vests (Gilets jaunes) rally (Picture: AFP) People looked on and took pictures as flares was burning inside a car (Picture: AFP) The yellow vest movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes (Picture: AFP) It has morphed into a mass protest against the French President’s policies and top-down style of governing (Picture: AFP) Riot police helped an injured officer (Picture: Reuters) A car, motorbikes and multiple trash bins were set ablaze as the protest moved toward the city’s Invalides monument but France’s Interior Ministry said this week’s protest was significantly smaller than last week’s. Police said 17 demonstrators had been arrested as scuffles broke out between protesters and police near the Champs-Elysees Avenue and the National Assembly. The protest march is due to end up near the Eiffel Tower. The yellow vest activists, who have brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets over the past three months, are now trying to achieve electoral success but the movement is politically divided and has no appointed leader. Riot police could be seen running past burning bins (Picture: AP) A police officer pointed a 40mm rubber defensive bullet launcher LBD (Picture: AFP) A vandalized Porsche car is pictured during scuffles with riot police (Picture: AP) Protesters dismantled construction fences to set up a barricade during clashes with riot police (Picture: AP) Firefighters put out burning cars (Picture: AFP) French President Emmanuel Macron – the target of many demonstrators’ anger – seems to be clawing back support from the public as he tries to address the movement’s anger with a national political debate on economic injustice. Recent polls show Macron’s approval ratings are rising. Manchester City and Chelsea fans fight on streets ahead of Champions League final Earlier Saturday, activists in Latvia staged a picket in front of the French embassy in Riga, the capital of the small Baltic EU country, to support the yellow vest movement and urge Latvians to demand higher living standards. The activists waved Latvia’s red-and-white flag, shouting slogans like “the French have awoken, while Latvians remain asleep.” Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.<doc-sep>A protester has had their hand blown off after a grenade explosion in Paris took place top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. A protester has had their hand blown off after a grenade explosion in Paris took place at a Yellow Vest rally, also known as the Gilet Jaunes movement. Shocking footage of the incident shows a member of the Yellow Vest protest holding a wounded arm, with their hand brutally ripped off by a GLI-F4 grenade. Eyewitnesses told the AFP that grenade was fired by police to disperse the crowd as protesters attempted to force their way into the grounds of the French National Assembly. WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS A GRAPHIC VIDEO AND IMAGE OF THE INCIDENT However, it is not yet known how the injury took place or the circumstances surrounding the explosion. The victim is a "yellow vest photographer" who was busy taking pictures of people pushing against the fence of the National Assembly at noon when the incident took place, according to the AFP witness. In the footage posted online, street medics can be seen rushing toward the victim who is sitting on the ground and holding their wounded arm. The Paris Police Prefecture has confirmed to Le Figaro that the "wounded demonstrator" had been taken to a local hospital by firefighters. Shocking footage of the incident shows a member of the Yellow Vest protesters holding a mangled arm The brutal grenade explosion comes amid escalating clashes between protesters and police during the 13th consecutive Yellow Vest rally in Paris. Other Yellow Vest events are also taking place across France including in Montpellier, Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Brest, Caen and Lorient. Before this afternoon's shocking incident, the Yellow Vest movement confirmed that they would no longer inform local officials about their rallies in Paris. The movement cited a spate of severe injuries sustained by their protesters during clashes with police as the reason behind the decision. France: Demonstrators join Yellow Vest mass strike in Bordeaux<doc-sep>
The right hand of one of the Yellow Vest protesters has been blown off by a police grenade, according to an eyewitness, during Saturday's demonstrations in Paris. RT video agency Ruptly's footage from the scene shows clouds of smoke billowing around the street as protesters and police clash outside the grounds of the National Assembly. Video captured in the moments surrounding the horrific hand injury show a marked escalation between police and protesters. One police grenade was filmed exploding as protesters approached the device. Eyewitness Cyprien Royer told RT France that he and the injured man were near the National Assembly, where a group of people dressed in black were trying to smash their way in. “That guy was just observing. The police arrived and started throwing grenades,” Royer explained. “One grenade flew right under the guy’s feet, and he tried to instinctively push it away with his hand, he hit it, and the grenade went off.” “He clutched onto us. We led him to the wall where there were no people. He was screaming, screaming, he was in an [awful] state," the witness added. "We called the ‘street medics,’ many came, they didn’t even understand at first he had his hand blown off.” WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC IMAGES The Ruptly crew who filmed the horrific aftermath of the blast injury say they rushed over after hearing an explosion, and found the injured protester surrounded by paramedics. Medics quickly surrounded the injured man to provide emergency treatment before he was rushed to hospital by firefighters. Police fired tear gas and flash grenades to deter protesters, while demonstrators threw the canisters back towards police and lobbed signs and pieces of boarding as projectiles. The injured man was a photographer for the Yellow Vest movement, and Royer said he was taking pictures of people outside the National Assembly at the time. Police in Paris fired tear gas among Yellow Vest protesters after clashes broke out on the city streets in the thirteenth week of demonstrations. Video shared on social media earlier Saturday shows one protester lash out and kick a police officer in the face, prompting police to charge demonstrators and strike out with their batons. Vehicles and trash cans were set alight as the protests rolled on. Dégradation sur une Porsche, des #GiletsJaunes interviennent pour éviter un incendie. Tensions en cours dans le cortège. #ACTE13#ACTEXIIIpic.twitter.com/Xc12MESnFU — Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) February 9, 2019 According to figures from the French Interior Ministry, a total of 51,400 people took part in Saturday's Yellow Vest protests. Some 4,000 marched in Paris, while more crowds gathered in other French cities, including Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux. In Paris, 36 demonstrators were arrested. On February 8, Yellow Vest organizers said they would no longer give officials prior notice of their rallies in Paris as the movement doesn't want to be “complicit in government violence" following a series of serious injuries to protesters during clashes with police.