Tear gas fired as Yellow Vest protesters hurl missiles at riot cops in latest violent clash in France

Local police fired tear gas as protesters came into conflict with cops, making it just another Saturday of violence in France.

Footage emerged of "gilets jaunes" fleeing momentarily after the tear gas was released.

The protesters have also formed a barricade using bins.

French journalist, Simon Louvet, tweeted: "The GJ are in the streets around Jeanne D'Arc Street and are gassed, they flee running and regroup."

While another journalist, Sotiri Dimpinoudis, shared the riots on Twitter.

Who are the Yellow Vests?

The yellow vest movement is led by protesters wearing the distinctively coloured roadside safety vests used by motorists known as gilets jaunes in French

Since the movement kicked off November 17, three people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes or accidents stemming from the protests.

In the past three weeks, demonstrators have been setting up roadblocks across the country and their movement has won wide public support.

Riot police were overrun during the first weekend of December when violence erupted in Paris' wealthiest neighbourhoods.

It has succeeded in bringing together people from across the political spectrum complaining about France's economic inequalities and waning spending power.

The movement was organised online and has no clear leadership, making talks all the more complicated for the government.

Demonstrators once again took to the streets of Paris on December 8 with an estimated 5,000 protesters taking over the streets of the French capital.

The Vests 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.

"Macron Resign", a crowd shouted today as they gathered at Montmartre, the tourist district overlooking Paris first thing on Saturday morning.

There had been claimed that they would gather at the ancient palace of Versailles, to the west of the capital, but this turned out to be a diversion.

"Our protests have been hugely successful in Paris itself, and that’s why we’re back here," said Jean Caron, a 52-year-old from Brittany.

"What everybody now realises is that the government cannot control us, and that’s why we will continue until Macron resigns."

What do the protesters want?

Most want the government to scrap the new fuel taxes, hold a review of the tax system and raise the minimum wage.

There have also been calls to roll back Macron’s tax cuts for the wealthy and his economic programme, which is seen as pro-business.

One protester said the reforms “will bludgeon us financially and destroy our companies. We're going to have to fire people, that's for sure."

One of the eight spokesmen for movement Christophe Chalençon called on Macron to resign.

He said the President should step aside for General Pierre de Villiers is a former head of the French armed forces

The general resigned after a clash with President Emmanuel Macron over budget cuts and Chalencon called him a “true commander”.

Last week, violence erupted in Paris as a cop was seen pulling a gun on Yellow Vest protesters and a car crash victim became the 10th person to die in the riots.

Teargas and baton charges used by riot police around the north of capital on a so-called ‘Act VI’ Day of Rage as anti-government protesters took to the streets for the sixth Saturday in a row.

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

It came as a tenth member of the mass movement died during blockades organised at major roads around France.

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