Paris cleans up after another day of violence

More than 1,300 people taken into custody as pressure builds on Macron

Paris tourist sites reopened, workers cleaned up broken glass and shop owners tried to put the city on its feet again on Sunday, a day after running battles between yellow-vested protesters and riot police left 71 injured and caused widespread damage to the French capital.

Interior Ministry Christophe Castaner said on Sunday that more than 1,200 people were taken into custody around France and 135 people were injured nationwide.

The movement, sparked by anger over a proposed carbon tax to curb climate change by French President Emmanuel Macron's government, has spread to other issues, in particular the income inequality and high living cost.

An estimated 10,000 yellow-vest protesters showed up in Paris and 125,000 across France on Saturday, according to Castaner.

Meanwhile, about 8,000 police officers were deployed in Paris, compared with 4,600 a week earlier, and nationwide nearly 90,000 officers were deployed. The huge presence was aimed at preventing the violence and vandalism of the previous week, regarded as the worst in the French capital for decades.

Police closed many streets in the city center on Saturday, while armored vehicles, water cannon and officers on horseback took up positions in the city.

While most of the tens of thousands of demonstrators in Paris were peaceful on Saturday, it turned violent in the afternoon, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and using water cannons to disperse protesters and control the situation.

Celine Fonarou and four of her friends came to the protest from Normandy. She wanted to protest against taxes and poverty.

"Life is difficult, so difficult," she told China Daily, adding that they are peaceful protesters.

Michel-Roch Faci, from the island of Corsica, said he is protesting against President Macron. "We want to change not only the taxes, we need a new revolution for the people," he said.