Paris police officers fired tear gas and water cannons at "Yellow Vest" protesters, who were marking the first anniversary of their anti-government movement this weekend. 

Yellow vest anniversary: A year of unrest in France

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police near the Porte de Champerret in Paris on Saturday, as protesters were preparing to march towards Gare d'Austerlitz in southern Paris. Some protesters, many masked and clad in black, set garbage cans, electric scooters and cars ablaze, while also destroying the windows of a bus station and a local bank branch.

The protests – which demonstrators called "Act 53" of their weekly gatherings – marked the first serious clashes for months in central Paris between security forces and demonstrators.

The interior ministry put the number of demonstrators at 28,600 nationwide but the organizers said nearly 40,000 people had rallied.

Police arrested 147 people across Paris by 8 p.m. local time, of whom 129 were in custody.

Similar demonstrations were held in other cities across France, including Marseille. 

French riot police officers run towards demonstrators during the 'Yellow Vest' demonstration in Paris. (Photo: AP)

Paris police chief Didier Lallement had banned the Place d'Italie demonstration, condemning the "damage and the systematic attacks against the security forces and the fire brigade."

The movement erupted in mid-November 2018 and evolved from nationwide road blockades into a series of often-violent demonstrations.

Demonstrations were initially triggered by fuel price hikes and the high cost of living but later spiraled into a broader movement against French President Emmanuel Macron and his drive for economic reforms.

The violence has pitted protesters with police and ravaged Paris and other major cities in the country.

Protests have lost strength in recent months, going from tens of thousands of participants to just a few thousand, but its leaders had called to remobilize ahead of Saturday's anniversary. 

Weeks after its inception, the movement proved to be one of the toughest roadblocks in Macron's presidency before winding down in the early summer.

At its peak in late 2018, the movement grew to up to 300,000 people. 

(CGTN's Liliana Ciobanu has contributed to this report.)

Source(s): Reuters ,AFP