Yellow vest protests: Man killed in France car crash after demonstrators block roundabout

Ten have been killed since the unrest began

Protesters at a roundabout near Perpignan in November 2018

(Getty)

A man has died in a car crash in the south of France, after vehicles at a roundabout were brought to a halt by so-called yellow vest (gilets jaune) protesters.

The fatality raises the death toll related to the anti-government protests to 10, with most people dying in traffic accidents.

Local authorities said the 36-year-old driver died after his car collided with the back of a lorry that had stopped near a group of protesters.

The crash occurred near the southern town of Perpignan.

Around 200 roundabouts across France were blocked on Saturday, during a sixth consecutive weekend of unrest.

But the streets were calmer than in previous weeks and fewer numbers of protesters had gathered to march, particularly in Paris, which has borne the brunt of the unrest.

On 1 December the French capital saw its worst urban riot in decades, with 133 injured and over 400 arrested.

On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators in southern France chanted “Macron resign” as they blocked traffic near the Spanish border.

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The yellow vest protests began in November as a show of public anger against a rise in fuel tax, which was later scrapped.

The demonstrations have since grown to encompass widely felt frustration against French president Emmanuel Macron, with many protesters complaining that he governs only for the rich.

Additional reporting by agencies