THIS is the dramatic moment French riot cops clash with protesters near a Eurostar station as chaos erupts across France.
Shocking footage shows cops striking wild demonstrators with batons as the two groups collide in Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, Paris.
Wearing helmets and stab vests, a wall of police scramble against a surge of activists holding placards as flares and tear gas fills the street with smoke.
The shocking clash struck just steps away from where the Eurostar arrives into the French capital from London.
Metro stations across the country were locked down on Saturday as protests against rising fuel prices and the cost of living erupted.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuez said officials were prepared for hundreds of demonstrations to sweep through several cities.
The worst trouble struck in Paris and Marseille, where officers failed to stop their own buildings being ransacked.
Video showed windows being smashed by youths in masks and hoods, before they threw molotov cocktails inside.
Nearby sports and clothes shops were also looted by gangs as riot police moved in.
More than 100 rioters had already been arrested by 1pm in the French capital, police said.
These were “primarily for carrying weapons or prohibited protective gear”, the force added in an update on X.
“Gangs of unauthorised protesters are roaming around the city, while many are meeting on major squares,” said a police spokesman.
More than 80 marches are expected across the nation with police conducting “enhanced checks to prevent risks”.
A march was due to start in Place de la République – one of the traditional protest squares in the city, and water cannon and other riot control measures were already in place.
Separate footage shows riot cops charging at a crowd of masked protesters in Strasbourg, in the northeast of France.
Police armed with batons launched tear gas towards the group before storming shield-first through a thick cloud of smoke.
The unrest has joined ongoing protests by hundreds of thousands of students which have shut down schools for more than three weeks.
Enraged protesters demand more investment in the education system, criticising a lack of teachers and staff, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings.
The latest mobilization follows calls on social media to revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice.
Student groups protesting since mid-September have urged supporters to join in.
The CGT, one of France’s major labour unions, also backs the protests calling for higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services.
Emmanuel Macron called for calm on Friday as officials warned of further violence and denounced those who joined riots simply to cause havoc.
The French president was blasted for attending a Céline Dion concert with his wife on Friday night as France braced for another day of chaos.
The 48-year-old head of state and Brigitte Macron, 73, were filmed dancing at the pop superstar’s concert in the Paris suburbs.
