French interior minister says not to resign in wake of Paris rioting

PARIS - French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Tuesday rejected the oppositions' calls for his step-down after the "Yellow Vest" street action turned violent in Paris during the past weekend.

Asked whether he had envisaged presenting his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, Castaner said "No".

"If you think it's a man's responsibility, I'm ready to listen perfectly. I'm totally responsible for my decisions," he told France Inter radio.

The French minister said he had exchanged views with President Macron throughout the weekend and "at no time" he did get bawled.

"But I would have understood perfectly that the President of the Republic shouted at me and in addition our relationship allows that," he said.

Castaner, one of the president's earliest backers, has been on the hot seat, with the critics from both the right and left parties calling for his resignation. They denounced his policing tactics, saying the tactics were ineffective in protection of public properties and the restoration of order during Saturday rioting.

In the latest demonstration in a series of weekly protests that began in November 2018 against dwindling purchasing power, a group of hard-left protestors, known as Black Blocs, ran amok across the capital over the weekend, torching cars and buildings, looting shops and smashing windows of boutiques in the fanciest shopping districts in Paris.

Police said 60 individuals, including 17 police officers, were wounded following the flare-up of violence.

Ministers of interior affairs and finances will be heard in the Senate later in the day.