Paris on knife-edge ahead of new 'yellow vest' protests

Businesses in Paris battened down the hatches on Friday and streets were cleared of material that could be used as weapons amid fears of further violence during a fourth round of "yellow vest" protests.

The French capital experienced its worst riots in decades last weekend, plunging President Emmanuel Macron's government into its deepest crisis so far.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will meet Friday evening with a delegation of self-described "moderate" yellow vests, who have urged people not to descend on Paris on Saturday.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has vowed "zero tolerance" towards those aiming to wreak further destruction and mayhem, after dozens of vehicles were torched, shops looted and the Arc de Triomphe war memorial was sacked last Saturday.

"These past three weeks have seen the birth of a monster that has escaped its creators," Castaner told a news conference. "It's time now for dialogue."