Three alleged organisers of the performance during which “yellow vest” protesters beheaded a human-sized doll representing Emmanuel Macron on the president’s birthday have been arrested, French regional newspaper Sud Ouest reported.
READ MORE: 'Yellow Vests' Protests Continue in Paris for Seven Weeks in a Row (VIDEO)
According to the media outlet, two men and one woman were called in for police questioning on 28 December in the city of Angouleme, Charente, and subsequently placed under arrest.
🚧 #GiletsJaunes: un pantin à l'effigie d'Emmanuel Macron a été décapité à #Angoulême. La préfecture de Charente dénonce une "mise en scène macabre". (Sud Ouest / Charente libre) pic.twitter.com/hXy97bYddI
— .INFOS (@InfosDeFr) 22 December 2018
The incident took place on 21 December, with a man dressed as an executioner beheading the mannequin with an eyeless effigy of Macron with a large axe. The doll’s head was then placed on a spike, while the remainder was reportedly burned.
#Charente: un #pantin à l'effigie d' #EmmanuelMacron décapité lors d'un rassemblement de #Giletsjaunes ➡️ https://t.co/G8OfUydd6R pic.twitter.com/CjfbyOKihw
— La Dépêche du Midi (@ladepechedumidi) 22 December 2018
The Yellow Vest protests – named after the reflective yellow attribute of French drivers – have been ongoing nationwide since mid-November. The demonstrators initially took to the streets to protest fuel tax hikes, with rallies rapidly turning violent and resulting in clashes between protesters and police.
Although French authorities called off their plans to increase taxes, the protests have since evolved into a broader movement against government policies, with some French people calling for the resignation of President Macron.
