Anti-government protesters clashed with French police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday, leaving the area cloaked in tear gas and smoke from fires on a fresh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron.

Demonstrators wearing the yellow, high-visibility vests that symbolise their movement threw projectiles at police preventing them from moving along the famed shopping avenue, which was decked out in twinkling Christmas lights.&nbsp;

They also built barricades in some spots, and tore down traffic lights and street signs, creating <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/more-than-400-hurt-in-french-fuel-price-protests-minister-178016">riotous scenes reminiscent of France's 1968 civil unrest</a>, or street insurrections in the mid-19th century immortalised in paintings and movies.

Police arrested 130 people, 42 of those in Paris, and 24 people were injured, five of them police officers including one who suffered burns to his groin, the city police department and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.

Elsewhere, protesters took over highway toll booths to let traffic pass for free, or held go-slow vehicle processions, underlining one of their core complaints of escalating taxes on car fuel, especially diesel.

Macron, targeted by protesters' calls that he resign, took to Twitter to thank police.

"Shame" on those who assaulted or intimidated citizens, journalists and politicians, Macron said. "There is no place for violence in the (French) Republic."

Smaller than a week ago

The violence was on a smaller scale than a week ago when the "yellow vest" movement staged its first nationwide protest.&nbsp;

"We're not here to beat up cops. We came because we want the government to hear us," said one protest spokeswoman, Laetitia Dewalle, 37, adding that the largely spontaneous movement denounced "violence by pseudo-protesters" on the fringes.

"We have just demonstrated peacefully, and we were teargassed," said Christophe, 49, who travelled from the Isere region in eastern France with his wife to protest in the capital.

The interior ministry counted 106,000 protesters across France on Saturday, with 8,000 in Paris, of whom around 5,000 were on the Champs-Elysees.

That was far less than the national tally of 282,000 in the November 17 protests.

Castaner said after the tumult died down that damage on the Champs-Elysees &nbsp;was "small".

The French government cast blame for the unruly protests on far-right politician Marine Le Pen, claiming she egged them on.

But Le Pen rejected that accusation saying she had "never called for any violence whatsoever" and in turn accused the government of "organising the tension" and seeking to make her a scapegoat.

Meanwhile opposition parties on both the right and left accused the government of trying to reduce the protests to just the sporadic scenes of violence, and turning a deaf ear to the demonstrators' grievances.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the radical left France Unbowed who attended a separate march Saturday protesting violence against women, tweeted that the action on the streets was "a mass protest of the people" which signalled "the end for Castaner".

Rural frustrations

A week ago, two people died and over 750 people, including 136 police officers, were injured in sometimes violent demonstrations that have shone a light on frustrations in many rural areas and small towns of France.

The "yellow vests" hail overwhelmingly from non-urban areas of France. They feel overlooked and penalised by policies they see as being pushed through by elitist politicians in Paris.&nbsp;

Former investment banker Macron was elected on a pledge to put more money in workers' pockets. But the effects of his pro-business reforms on unemployment and purchasing power have been limited so far.

Many of the often low-income "yellow vest" protesters are particularly incensed at his decision to hike anti-pollution taxes on diesel, while scrapping a wealth tax on the rich.

"I'm not just fighting against the price of fuel. It's about tax, what we pay," protester Catherine Marguier told AFP near the village of La Gravelle in northwest France.

Meanwhile, in a separate protest in the southern city of Marseille, police fired teargas at bottle-throwing demonstrators upset by the &nbsp;"gentrification" renovation work on the town's biggest square. Around 1,200 demonstrators took part and two were arrested.

'Gap between rich and poor'

Revolts against taxes have been a feature of French public life for centuries. Citizens still pay some of the highest in Europe as a percentage of GDP, and fuel-price protests are a common modern occurrence.

Previous rounds pitting the government against drivers took place in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2008, often when tax increases coincided with high oil prices -- as they have this year.

A poll by the Odoxa research group for Le Figaro newspaper this week found that 77 percent of respondents described it as "justified".

Anti-government protesters clashed with French police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday, leaving the area cloaked in tear gas and smoke from fires on a fresh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron.

Anti-government protesters clashed with French police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday, leaving the area cloaked in tear gas and smoke from fires on a fresh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron. Demonstrators wearing the yellow, high-visibility vests that symbolise their movement threw projectiles at police preventing them from moving along the famed shopping avenue, which was decked out in twinkling Christmas lights. They also built barricades in some spots, and tore down traffic lights and street signs, creating riotous scenes reminiscent of France's 1968 civil unrest, or street insurrections in the mid-19th century immortalised in paintings and movies. Police arrested 130 people, 42 of those in Paris, and 24 people were injured, five of them police officers including one who suffered burns to his groin, the city police department and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said. Elsewhere, protesters took over highway toll booths to let traffic pass for free, or held go-slow vehicle processions, underlining one of their core complaints of escalating taxes on car fuel, especially diesel. Macron, targeted by protesters' calls that he resign, took to Twitter to thank police. "Shame" on those who assaulted or intimidated citizens, journalists and politicians, Macron said. "There is no place for violence in the (French) Republic." Smaller than a week ago The violence was on a smaller scale than a week ago when the "yellow vest" movement staged its first nationwide protest. "We're not here to beat up cops. We came because we want the government to hear us," said one protest spokeswoman, Laetitia Dewalle, 37, adding that the largely spontaneous movement denounced "violence by pseudo-protesters" on the fringes. "We have just demonstrated peacefully, and we were teargassed," said Christophe, 49, who travelled from the Isere region in eastern France with his wife to protest in the capital. The interior ministry counted 106,000 protesters across France on Saturday, with 8,000 in Paris, of whom around 5,000 were on the Champs-Elysees. That was far less than the national tally of 282,000 in the November 17 protests. Castaner said after the tumult died down that damage on the Champs-Elysees was "small". The French government cast blame for the unruly protests on far-right politician Marine Le Pen, claiming she egged them on. But Le Pen rejected that accusation saying she had "never called for any violence whatsoever" and in turn accused the government of "organising the tension" and seeking to make her a scapegoat. Meanwhile opposition parties on both the right and left accused the government of trying to reduce the protests to just the sporadic scenes of violence, and turning a deaf ear to the demonstrators' grievances. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the radical left France Unbowed who attended a separate march Saturday protesting violence against women, tweeted that the action on the streets was "a mass protest of the people" which signalled "the end for Castaner". Rural frustrations A week ago, two people died and over 750 people, including 136 police officers, were injured in sometimes violent demonstrations that have shone a light on frustrations in many rural areas and small towns of France. The "yellow vests" hail overwhelmingly from non-urban areas of France. They feel overlooked and penalised by policies they see as being pushed through by elitist politicians in Paris. Former investment banker Macron was elected on a pledge to put more money in workers' pockets. But the effects of his pro-business reforms on unemployment and purchasing power have been limited so far. Many of the often low-income "yellow vest" protesters are particularly incensed at his decision to hike anti-pollution taxes on diesel, while scrapping a wealth tax on the rich. "I'm not just fighting against the price of fuel. It's about tax, what we pay," protester Catherine Marguier told AFP near the village of La Gravelle in northwest France. Meanwhile, in a separate protest in the southern city of Marseille, police fired teargas at bottle-throwing demonstrators upset by the "gentrification" renovation work on the town's biggest square. Around 1,200 demonstrators took part and two were arrested. 'Gap between rich and poor' Revolts against taxes have been a feature of French public life for centuries. Citizens still pay some of the highest in Europe as a percentage of GDP, and fuel-price protests are a common modern occurrence. Previous rounds pitting the government against drivers took place in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2008, often when tax increases coincided with high oil prices -- as they have this year. A poll by the Odoxa research group for Le Figaro newspaper this week found that 77 percent of respondents described it as "justified".

'Shame' on you, Macron tells French fuel hike protesters

Tens of thousands of people rallied across Europe on Saturday against sexual violence, with more than 30,000 turning out in Paris.

Demonstrations across France drew around 50,000 people in all, according to organiser Caroline de Haas, to answer a citizen collective's call for a "feminist tidal wave" of outrage against gender violence brought into sharp focus by the #MeToo movement.

Elsewhere, a thousand people braved driving rain in Rome while similar protests drew several hundred demonstrators in Geneva and Athens on the eve of the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Sunday.

"The fight against violence against women is progressing daily but our society has a long way to go &nbsp;-- everyone must act and fight as this is everybody's business," President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in offering his moral support.

Authorities put the Paris turnout at 12,000 and similar marches in Lyon, Marseille and Rennes at between 1,000 and 2,400, but De Haas felt moved to salute "the largest (feminist) mobilisation France has known", far bigger than a rally that drew some 2,000 last year.

Participants clad in purple, the colour of the #NousToutes women's activist protest movement, shouted slogans including "sick of rape", "end impunity for aggressors" and "a woman is never responsible for the violence she suffers", while also demanding sufficient government resources to tackle the issue.

"I am here to support all the victims and continue this struggle which started long before I came along," said French actress Muriel Robin, who had organised a similar rally last month in the capital.

<img alt="Protests to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="789d3b33-a898-4f46-bcc0-0ba74ea9c355" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1B29AP.jpg" />

<img alt="Protests to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1ca7d980-26cd-4874-9ade-8f4e40969dcf" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1B319D%20%281%29.jpg" />

<img alt="Protests to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fdc1759a-15cf-4d03-9547-29716e263a5a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2811%29_0.jpg" />

Rise in violence cases

The rallies drew a number of men, including Tanguy, a 19-year-old student who turned out in the western city of Rennes to declare backing for "a movement which is not based on sex -- it's not a fight pitting men against women but a fight by men and women, together, against inequality."

The #NousToutes movement started out in France in September, inspired by the #MeToo campaign that began last year since when the number of cases of sexual violence reported to police in France has risen 23 per cent.

Latest French government figures say 2017 saw 225,000 cases of domestic violence against women by their partners while 2016 saw 123 deaths.

Further marches are planned for Sunday in a number of cities across Europe to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Macron last year made sexual equality a priority of his presidency.

But "if the money is not forthcoming public policy won't follow on", warned De Haas, speaking two days after several civil organisations called for a huge increase in public resources dedicated to the problem.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Saturday that an online platform for reporting sexual violence and sexism will be launched on Tuesday.

"This is the first milestone, technical and political, to eradicate" violence, said he said in a Facebook post.

"From now, a few clicks can help everyone make a new start: for themselves, for their family. And perhaps avoid the worst."

Tens of thousands of people rallied across Europe on Saturday against sexual violence, with more than 30,000 turning out in Paris. Demonstrations across France drew around 50,000 people in all, according to organiser Caroline de Haas, to answer a citizen collective's call for a "feminist tidal wave" of outrage against gender violence brought into sharp focus by the #MeToo movement.

Tens of thousands of people rallied across Europe on Saturday against sexual violence, with more than 30,000 turning out in Paris. Demonstrations across France drew around 50,000 people in all, according to organiser Caroline de Haas, to answer a citizen collective's call for a "feminist tidal wave" of outrage against gender violence brought into sharp focus by the #MeToo movement. Elsewhere, a thousand people braved driving rain in Rome while similar protests drew several hundred demonstrators in Geneva and Athens on the eve of the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Sunday. "The fight against violence against women is progressing daily but our society has a long way to go -- everyone must act and fight as this is everybody's business," President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in offering his moral support. Authorities put the Paris turnout at 12,000 and similar marches in Lyon, Marseille and Rennes at between 1,000 and 2,400, but De Haas felt moved to salute "the largest (feminist) mobilisation France has known", far bigger than a rally that drew some 2,000 last year. Participants clad in purple, the colour of the #NousToutes women's activist protest movement, shouted slogans including "sick of rape", "end impunity for aggressors" and "a woman is never responsible for the violence she suffers", while also demanding sufficient government resources to tackle the issue. "I am here to support all the victims and continue this struggle which started long before I came along," said French actress Muriel Robin, who had organised a similar rally last month in the capital. Rise in violence cases The rallies drew a number of men, including Tanguy, a 19-year-old student who turned out in the western city of Rennes to declare backing for "a movement which is not based on sex -- it's not a fight pitting men against women but a fight by men and women, together, against inequality." The #NousToutes movement started out in France in September, inspired by the #MeToo campaign that began last year since when the number of cases of sexual violence reported to police in France has risen 23 per cent. Latest French government figures say 2017 saw 225,000 cases of domestic violence against women by their partners while 2016 saw 123 deaths. Further marches are planned for Sunday in a number of cities across Europe to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Macron last year made sexual equality a priority of his presidency. But "if the money is not forthcoming public policy won't follow on", warned De Haas, speaking two days after several civil organisations called for a huge increase in public resources dedicated to the problem. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Saturday that an online platform for reporting sexual violence and sexism will be launched on Tuesday. "This is the first milestone, technical and political, to eradicate" violence, said he said in a Facebook post. "From now, a few clicks can help everyone make a new start: for themselves, for their family. And perhaps avoid the worst."

Thousands protest in 'feminist tidal wave' against sexual violence

Protester killed in accident during French road blockades

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at angry protesters marching on Thursday in France, in the latest outbreak of violence over the controversial new labour laws. 
 
The law that will make firing and hiring easier was forced through in July. It is aimed at making France&#39;s protective labor laws more flexible. 
 
Scuffles broke out in cities including Paris, Nantes, Toulouse, Rennes, Grenoble and Montpellier, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. 
 
Hooded youths hurled bottles, beer cans and on occasion makeshift firebombs on the fringes of marches against the law. 
 
&quot;We are lifting our foot off the pedal for now. We are not going to do this every week,&quot; Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the Force Ouvriere union, told reporters at a rally in Paris&#39;s Place de la Bastille square. 
 
Seven months from a presidential election, Mailly said that the unions would not let Socialist President Francois Hollande and his government off the hook. 
 
&quot;This law will be the chewing gum that sticks to the soles of the government&#39;s shoes,&quot; he told France 2 public television. 
 
Mailly and Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT union, said they hoped legal challenges would force the withdrawal of the new law. They intend to challenge application decrees that will spell out exactly how the law applies on the ground. 
 
Martinez said the law could be exploited by employers to trim overtime pay from a 25 per cent markup to 10 per cent. 
 
Police said between 12,500 and 13,500 marched in Paris. 
 
Some 62 people were arrested across the country, the Interior Ministry said. Fifteen gendarmes and police officers were injured, including two who were hospitalised. 
 
The government hopes the law will help lower a jobless rate stuck close to 10 per cent. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Scuffles broke out in cities including Paris, Nantes, Toulouse, Rennes, Grenoble and Montpellie, the Interior Ministry said in a statement

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at angry protesters marching on Thursday in France, in the latest outbreak of violence over the controversial new labour laws. The law that will make firing and hiring easier was forced through in July. It is aimed at making France's protective labor laws more flexible. Scuffles broke out in cities including Paris, Nantes, Toulouse, Rennes, Grenoble and Montpellier, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Hooded youths hurled bottles, beer cans and on occasion makeshift firebombs on the fringes of marches against the law. "We are lifting our foot off the pedal for now. We are not going to do this every week," Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the Force Ouvriere union, told reporters at a rally in Paris's Place de la Bastille square. Seven months from a presidential election, Mailly said that the unions would not let Socialist President Francois Hollande and his government off the hook. "This law will be the chewing gum that sticks to the soles of the government's shoes," he told France 2 public television. Mailly and Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT union, said they hoped legal challenges would force the withdrawal of the new law. They intend to challenge application decrees that will spell out exactly how the law applies on the ground. Martinez said the law could be exploited by employers to trim overtime pay from a 25 per cent markup to 10 per cent. Police said between 12,500 and 13,500 marched in Paris. Some 62 people were arrested across the country, the Interior Ministry said. Fifteen gendarmes and police officers were injured, including two who were hospitalised. The government hopes the law will help lower a jobless rate stuck close to 10 per cent. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

French police fire tear gas at labour reform protesters

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'Shame' on you, Macron tells French fuel hike protesters

Thousands protest in 'feminist tidal wave' against sexual violence

Protester killed in accident during French road blockades

French police fire tear gas at labour reform protesters