The violence came a week after rioting that saw public buildings vandalised, hundreds of shops looted and 2,700 people arrested, casting a pall over a country that goes to the polls in six months to choose a successor to Macron after 10 years. French police deployed in large numbers and major Paris museums closed ahead of new protests as authorities stationed 70,000 security forces across the country for marches called to protest the cost of living.
Hundreds of thousands marched across France on Saturday protesting the rising cost of living and a lack of government resources for essential services like schools, in demonstrations that ended with a heavy security response and almost 1,000 arrests across the country.
While demonstrations in Paris started peacefully, clashes broke out as the crowd was dispersing amid widespread anger at the government over a protest crackdown viewed as an assault on the right to protest.
In the western city of Nantes, thousands of protesters broke through lines of police firing tear gas and a water cannon to reach the city centre, a journalist there witnessed.
Thousands of counter-protesters chanting anti-fascist slogans also marched in the city.
Elsewhere, Italy mobilised 500 troops to Milan after street violence occurred there.
Read moreFrench police deploy in large numbers, major Paris museums close ahead of new protests Authorities had deployed 70,000 security forces across the country for the new marches, called to protest the cost of living.
Read moreFrance to deploy 70,000 police officers as students call for fresh protests Saturday Afterwards, though, clashes broke out as the crowd was dispersing.
While demonstrations in Paris started peacefully they ended with a heavy security response, with almost 1,000 arrested across the country.
Saturday's demonstrations drew between 410,000 and 800,000 people across the country, according to differing estimates from the authorities and the organising CGT union.