At least 278 people have been detained in the French capital ahead of anti-government protests called by the so-called 'Yellow Vest' movement in opposition to a rise in fuel tax, the police said on Saturday.

France was bracing for the renewed demonstrations with nearly 90,000 security personnel on the streets. Some 8,000 officers and 12 armoured vehicles were deployed in Paris alone, where shops were boarded up and sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum closed.