French gov't gets tough on 'yellow vest' demos

France's "yellow vests" are expected to stage further anti-government protests Saturday despite the authorities vowing a "zero tolerance" approach after major riots in Paris last weekend.

Paris police have banned the protesters from a large area in the west of the city, including the famed Champs-Elysees avenue, scene of last week's rampage, as well as the presidential palace and National Assembly.

Similar bans have been announced in the centers of Toulouse, Bordeaux, Dijon, Rennes and the southern city of Nice.

Macron is under pressure to avoid a repeat of last week's sacking of the Champs-Elysees, where over 100 shops were damaged, looted or set alight during seven hours of rioting by mainly masked, black-clad protesters.

A protester walks past a burning barricade during clashes with riot police forces on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, March 16, 2019. /VCG Photo

The government has announced plans to redeploy soldiers from its Sentinelle anti-terror force Saturday to guard public buildings to free up the police to tackle the radicals.

The announcement has drawn protest from the opposition who have accused the government of playing with fire.

In a YouTube post, truck driver Eric Drouet, one of the leaders of the "yellow vest" movement, called on protesters not to try to return to the Champs-Elysees.

"It's a very very bad idea. You know what image they're trying to create of us," he said, predicting a "quiet Saturday."

Eric Drouet, one of the leaders of the "Yellow Vest" movement, looks on at the start of a march in Paris, February 2, 2019. /VCG Photo‍

Macron's government drew fierce criticism over its handling of last week's protests.

The police appeared to hang back in the face of sustained attacks, after being accused of using excessive force during several previous such protests.

The over the violence.

The protests began in rural France on November 17 over fuel tax increases and quickly developed into a full-scale anti-government rebellion that two months of public policy debates have failed to defuse.

In recent weeks, the protesters' numbers have dwindled, falling from 282,000 nationwide on the first Saturday to just 32,000 last week, according to official estimates.

(CGTN)