Shouts of “dictatorship” were heard as one of the leaders of France’s anti-government Yellow Vest movement was arrested in Paris late on Wednesday, after authorities charged him with organizing and leading an unauthorized protest.
Eric Drouet was detained by police as some of the movement’s supporters gathered in the capital’s Place de la Concorde, near the iconic Arc de Triomphe monument. People left candles in remembrance of the movement’s wounded in clashes with police.
Drouet was detained while reportedly en-route to the memorial. Footage of the arrest shows several French riot police escort him away from the crowds while supporters chant his name while he is being led away.
After that, several other protesters were grabbed from the crowd and led away by police while remaining Yellow Vests sang the national anthem.
Tweeting his support for the man, left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon called the arrest an “abuse of power,” and the tar
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