Hundreds of thousands of people celebrated New Year's Eve on Paris' Champs-Élysées avenue and aross the capital in a festive and jubilant atmosphere undeterred by the heavy police presence.
Parisians and tourists alike gathered on the avenue known for its luxury shops and iconic architecture to watch a stunning 20-minute light show projected on to the famed Arc de Triomphe monument and a spectacular fireworks display to ring in the start of the New Year.
The Champs-Élysées has long been a focal point for national celebrations with crowds gathering there in 2018 to celebrate France winning the football World Cup and the Tour de France.
Some people wearing Yellow Vests could be seen peacefully standing amid the huge crowds. The yellow vest movement, furious over taxes and what they see as President Emmanuel Macron's pro-business policies, called on social media for a "festive event" in the French capital and other cities.
The Yellow Vest protests have led to violent clashes with police across the country and in the capital Paris since they began in November. The Arc de Triomphe was previously notably daubed with anti-government graffiti.
However, FRANCE 24's Shona Bhattacharyya reported Monday evening alongside the partygoers on the famous avenue that all remained calm and that this, "feels like a New Year's Eve like any other."
Macron said during a televised New Year's address that the movement's protests would not persuade his government to abandon its economic agenda.
Macron defends agenda
Macron argued that positive results from his policies would not "immediate," but he pledged to reform France's national unemployment payments and pension system. He called for "unity" and the "efforts of everybody" in 2019.
Macron also denounced what he called the "heinous crowd" who have infiltrated the legitmate Yellow Vest protesters to spread hate speech about the "police, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals."
The Yellow Vest movement began as a protest against fuel tax increases, but has become a general protest about the policies of Macron's government.
To prevent protest-related unrest and the potential risk of an extremist attack, Paris police set up a security perimeter on the Champs-Élysées, with bag searches, a ban on alcohol and traffic restrictions.
France has deployed more than 147,000 members of the security forces nationwide, including 12,000 in Paris.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
