"Over 1,000 sentences have been given in total. Around 5,600 people have been detained since the beginning of the [protest] movement," Philippe said as broadcast by TF1.
The yellow vest protests, named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers, were initially triggered by planned diesel price increase, but then evolved into a broader movement against government policies. The protests have not calmed down even after the government cancelled the planned diesel price hike and introduced a range of measures to resolve the social and economic crisis in the country.
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The protests have been marked by violent clashes between yellow vest activists and police forces, with scores of detentions and injuries.