New Protests In France Growing Larger Into The Evening

Up to 8,000 police bolster streets of Paris as Yellow Vest protesters plan more chaos

• Security forces in riot gear with armoured trucks were positioned around famous Champs-Elysees boulevard 
• Protesters are expected to again torch vehicles, destroy shops and vandalise buildings in protest of Macron 
• Shops were closed and boarded up in anticipation of the protests, with armoured vehicles parked close by
• France's interior ministry said number of protesters was estimated at 33,500 - half the level of a week ago (Grows To 66,000 By Evening)
• By the evening 168 arrests made in central Paris as water cannons and armoured vehicles gathered in city 

Fighting erupted in central Paris today as thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of France for the fifth Saturday in a row.

Tear gas and baton charges were used by riot police around the capital's famous Opera district on a so-called 'Act V' Day of Rage, and by midday more than 60 protesters were in custody.

But by the evening there were close to 170 arrests in central Paris as mounted police, water cannons, and 14 armoured vehicles capable of spreading high-intensity gas meanwhile gathered in around the city's landmarks.

There had been 168 arrests by 6pm, far down on the roughly 1,000 protesters taken into custody following last Saturday's demonstrations in Paris. 

Around 69,000 security forces were mobilised across France, down from 89,000 last Saturday when 2,000 people were detained at various demonstration around the country. 

High-end shops including luxury fashion boutiques were all boarded up around the Opera, along with banks and post offices. 

In the late afternoon, a water cannon in a line of police vans confronting protesters sprayed water into a crowd in frigid weather to disperse them. Firefighters put out a fire on a side street leading to the Champs-Elysees and small scuffles broke out between protesters and police. 

As night closed in this evening, there were brief disturbances along the Champs Elysee - the most famous shopping avenue in France.

A spokesman for the Paris prefecture said at 7pm: 'There have been 168 arrests so far, with 115 held for public order offences. Seven serious injuries have been reported.' 

Most were so-called Yellow Vest fuel price demonstrators, who are named after the high visibility jackets they wear. 

Minor clashes in the cities of Toulouse, Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux were reported, while protesters snarled traffic on motorways in the south of the country and on the A16 near the port of Calais in the north.

They have been protesting since November 17 and, despite a range of concessions by President Emmanuel Macron including scrapping green taxes of diesel and petrol, continue to call for him to step down.

The demonstrations against France's high cost of living - sapped by cold weather, rain and recent concessions by Macron - were significantly smaller Saturday than at previous rallies, some of which scarred parts of Paris with vandalism and looting. 

'Macron Resign', a crowd of around 1,500 chanted today in the streets around the 19th Century Opera Garnier, which is normally a huge draw for tourists.

Around 8,000 police officers have been deployed ahead of a fifth consecutive week of demonstrations.  

France's interior ministry said earlier today that the number of 'yellow vest' protesters in France was estimated at 33,500 at midday - half the level of a week ago - but by 6pm it was up to 66,000.