Some 10,000 people wearing red scarves marched through Paris on Sunday to protest acts of violence and vandalism on the sidelines of anti-government demonstrations by the largely peaceful "yellow vest" movement.

The "red scarves" demonstration came amid growing divisions around the 11-week-old "yellow vest" phenomenon, which has led to rioting in Paris and other cities, exposed deep discontent with President Emmanuel Macron and prompted national soul-searching.

Protest damage to the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris in December was a turning point for many of the counter-protesters at Sunday's march.

"We don't share all the demands expressed by the 'yellow vest' movement, for instance demands about overthrowing the government, brutalizing institutions," Laurent Segnis, a member of Macron's centrist Republic on the Move party, said.