Tear gas and baton charges were used by French police on thousands of Yellow Vest protestors threatening the Arc de Triomphe in Paris today during more mass anti-government demonstrations.
The ugly scenes came on the 9th Saturday in a row of violence that now routinely reduces the capital city to a war zone.
In Paris, epicentre of the fiery street clashes and vandalism that have made global headlines, 5,000 riot police were on hand, using tall barricades and armoured vehicles to lock down the central Place de la Concorde and surrounding districts.
Hundreds of officers were also on guard on the Champs-Elysees, where banks, jewellery stores and other shops had boarded up windows in anticipation of renewed looting and violence.
Yet many cafes and retailers on the iconic avenue remained open for business, as several thousands of protesters marched calmly from the Place de la Bastille toward the Arc de Triomphe early in the afternoon.
Scroll down for video
French police detain a bloodied Yellow Vest (Gilets jaunes) protester during an anti-government demonstration in Marseille today
Protesters break the window of a shop during an anti-government demonstration called by the Yellow Vest (Gilets jaunes) movement in Paris on January 12, 2019
French anti-riot police draw their weapons while colleagues detain a protester during renewed clashes in Paris today
French riot police take positions in the city center during a yellow vest demonstration in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, January 12, 2019
In Paris, epicentre of the fiery street clashes and vandalism that have made global headlines, 5,000 riot police were on hand, using tall barricades and armoured vehicles to lock down the central Place de la Concorde and surrounding districts
Tear gas and baton charges were used by French police on thousands of Yellow Vest protestors threatening the Arc de Triomphe in Paris today during more mass anti-government demonstration. The ugly scenes came on the 9th Saturday in a row of violence that now routinely reduces the capital city to a war zone
There were 5000 police and gendarmes standing by for trouble, and it started in the early afternoon when a march reached the Champs Elysee, the most famous shopping avenue in France. Yellow Vest (Gilets jaunes) protesters are pictured waving flags reading RIC for 'Citizens' Initiative Referendum'
Within minutes huge white clouds of tear gas were smothering the area, covering rioters, as well as Saturday afternoon shoppers. By 3pm there had been 42 arrests in the Paris areas, many of them of suspected rioters carrying potential weapons
Scores of protesters later clashed with riot police after arriving at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, prompting volleys of tear gas and water cannon as security forces prevented them from reaching the Champs-Elysees
Yellow Vest (Gilets jaunes) protesters walk past the damaged window of a shop during an anti-government demonstration
Nearly 60 people had been arrested in the capital, police said, alongside dozens more elsewhere including the central city of Bourges, the site of another major rally
Dozens of banks, jewelry stores and other shops were boarded up on the Champs-Elysees and elsewhere across the city, which have taken a heavy toll on businesses. 'We've come to Paris to make ourselves heard, and we wanted to see for ourselves at least once what's going on here,' said Patrick, 37,
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 yellow vest protesters, according to local authorities were marching in Bourges, a provincial capital with a renowned Gothic cathedral and picturesque wood-framed houses. Online groups mounted calls over the past week for actions in the town because of its location in the center of France
Authorities deployed 80,000 security forces nationwide for the anti-government protests. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner threatened tough retaliation against rioters and their backers, warning of increasing radicalization among the largely peaceful demonstrators
The movement waned over the holidays but appears to be resurging, despite Macron's promises of billions of euros in tax relief and an upcoming 'national debate' to address demonstrators' concerns. Protesters want deeper changes to France's economy and politics, seen as favoring the rich
French police take positions during a yellow vest protest in Marseille. Repeated scuffles broke out between
