Protesters clash with riot police

POLICE fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Paris as thousands gathered in the capital and staged road blockades across France to vent anger against rising fuel taxes and Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.

Thousands of police were deployed nationwide to contain the demonstrations, including a tense protest at the foot of the ChampsElysees where protesters wielded placards reading “Death to Taxes” and upturned a large vehicle.

No-one was injured in the clashes, but six were arrested for “throwing projectiles”, Paris Police told the Associated Press.

“It’s going to trigger a civil war and me, like most other citizens, we’re all ready,” said Benjamin Vrignaud, a 21-year-old protester from Chartres.

The famous avenue was dotted from early morning with neon - owing to the hi-vis vests the myriad self-styled “yellow jacket” protesters wear. French drivers are required to keep neon security vests in their vehicles.

Five thousand protesters flooded the Champs-Elysees alone, with 23,000 protesters in total nationwide, according to interior minister Christophe Castaner.

In a week of demonstrations that has dominated national news coverage, hundreds have been injured and two people died in accidents stemming from the protests.

The unrest is proving a major challenge for embattled Macron, who is suffering in the polls and the focus of rage for the demonstrators, who accuse the pro-business centrist of indifference to the struggles of ordinary French people.

Macron has insisted that the fuel tax rises are a necessary pain to reduce France’s dependence on fossil fuels and fund renewable energy investments, which is a cornerstone of his reforms of the