French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on Tuesday in front of the mayors of the Normandy Region in the city of Gran Burteruld, launched a national debate on current social and economic issues raised by the Yellow Vests movement, in a bid to assuage their anger.
READ MORE: Police in Paris Prepare for Ninth Weekend of 'Yellow Vests' Protest
11 January 2019, 15:38 GMT
The Yellow Vests rally in front of the Hotel National des Invalides was initially scheduled to begin at 11:00 local time, according to the movement's Facebook page, but some participants arrived up to an hour earlier.
Meanwhile, in other cities across France, protesters are also beginning to gather on the streets — estimates of the number of rally-goers haven't been provided yet.
Paris has deployed some 5,000 police officers in the capital in preparation of the rallies, with similar steps being taken in other French cities and towns.
