'Yellow Vest' protests continue for 13th weekend in France

Renewed scenes of trouble

Despite a relative calm in crowd, disturbances have flared up in the capital as protesters marched beside symbols of power such as the parliament's two houses, the National Assembly and Senate.

Small groups of demonstrators broke away from the designated route and threw bottles and other projectiles at police who responded with tear gas.

Video footage showed a vehicle of anti-terrorism Sentinel forces in flames. Several motorbikes, cars and bins were set on fire in the capital's popular tourist areas.

A group of 150 young people, identified as far-left militants had infiltrated the demonstration. They smashed shop windows and vandalized bank offices.

As first scuffles erupted, a man, in his thirties, not wearing the highly visible yellow vest that symbolizes the social unrest, was reportedly losing his hand when a sting-ball grenade detonated as he tried to pick it up to throw at police, news channel BFMTV reported.

Two other individuals were wounded, including a police officer.

Similar violent disturbances were also reported in other cities. In Lyon, central France, 17 individuals were arrested on charges of attacking security forces and carrying projectiles.

In the capital, the figure rose to 36 arrests, of which 16 were placed into police custody.

"These attacks are intolerable. Everything will be done to ensure that their perpetrators are apprehended and judged," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner tweeted.

Earlier on Saturday, the minister said "We are vigilant. The security forces are mobilized to manage some individuals who seek to hurt our forces and attack our institutions."

The French National Assembly on Tuesday gave the green light to the government to implement an anti-riot law which would toughen sanctions against undeclared protests and troublemakers who use rallies to challenge public safety.

Proposed in the wake of violent "yellow vest" protests that plunged Paris, two months ago, into its worst civil unrest in decades, the bill allows prefects, or local state security officials to ban people deemed to pose a threat to public safety.

Furthermore, the bill makes covering the face during a protest an offence, with those who do not respect it risk to be jailed one year and pay a fine of 15,000 euros. It also allows police to search bags and cars in the immediate vicinity of a demonstration.