Violence erupted on the streets of France for the 16th weekend in a row as yellow vests protested against the government's economic policies they see as favoring the rich. 

Protesters set fire to bins and threw smoke bombs as they clashed with police who used tear gas to control crowds. 

Demonstrators wore red hoodies with the tricolor cockade - an emblem of the French Revolution - and stood with their mouths taped shut.

Crowds gathered at the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris as a march was planned through the affluent neighborhoods of the capital.  

It comes as French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reiterated a call for calm, pointing at 'unacceptable' outbreaks of violence since the movement began in November.