Riot police took action after a small group of masked protesters in the Place de la Republique square began chanting "State of emergency, police state", referring to measures restricting protests that were introduced after the November 13 terror attacks in the city.
Around 4,500 activists had earlier formed a human chain through the city, passing near the Bataclan concert hall where 90 people were killed in the November 13 attacks on the French capital.
The police formed lines to push them back.
