As it happened: live coverage of 'yellow vest' protests in France, January 5, 2018

Fierce clashes between police and protesters marked the 8th weekend of Yellow Vest protests in France. Some 50,000 protesters demonstrated all over France.

Tear gas was fired at protesters at the Seine riverbank in Central Paris. Reuters

France's "yellow vest" protesters were back on the streets again Saturday as a government spokesman denounced hard-liners who wanted to bring down the government.

The scale and intensity of the protests has shrivelled in recent weeks.

France's Interior Minister put Saturday's nationwide turnout at around 50,000. Some 282,000 protesters showed up for the initial rally on November 17.

Public anger has on occasion been directed at the media, seen by some as too close to the government. Several journalists have been assaulted since the protests called by the grass-roots movement started in November.

>> Find out more more about the Yellow Vest movement

Live coverage of the Yellow Vest protests, 5 January 2018

• 20:00 - We end our live webcast as the Champs-Elysées is cleared by police amid sporadic clashes.

• 19:45: Some 50,000 protesters demonstrated all over France, according to France's Interior minister Christophe Castaner. In Paris, remaining protesters have gathered at the Champs-Elysées avenue, from where they are being evacuated.

• 19:15 : Protesters broke into the office grounds of France's government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux. Cars vandalised in courtyard. Griveaux evacuated from premises, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

• 18:36 : 4,600 protesters in Bordeaux, southern France.

• 18:00 : In Paris, 103 protesters have been arrested, according to police sources. France's Interior minister has called for 'responsibility'.

• 17:50 : In Marseille, The Yellow Vests met at the offices of La Provence newspaper (owned by businessman Bernard Tapie) where an authority is being set up to coordinate the movement's demands.

• 17:30 : Police say there were 15,000 protesters this afternoon in France, of which 3,500 in Paris.

• 17:11 : Clashes in Paris as police fire tear gas to prevent protesters from reaching France's National Assembly.

• 16:08 : Western France : Several thousand gilets jaunes in Rouen, Nantes and Rennes. Reports of violent clashes, tear gas and flashballs fired.

• 16:00 : Southern France - 2000 Yellow Vests in Toulouse. 4 police injured and 3 arrested in Montpellier.

• 15:00 : At least 3,500 protesters in Paris, according to police sources.

• 14:21 : AFP reports tear gas being fired at stone-throwing protesters at  Paris' Hôtel de Ville near the Seine. At the same time, protesters gathered near the headquarters of AFP near central Paris.

• 14:07 : Protesters in Paris are marching towards the National Assembly.

• 13:00 : Protests in Paris and elsewhere in France have been largely peaceful so far.

• 12:16 : In central Paris - demonstrators plan to march from the Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) to the National Assembly. Other protesters are on the Champs-Elysées, where previous protests had been marred by violent clashes between rioters and police.

• 10:32 : 18 Yellow Vests have been arrested and put into custody in the Saone-et-Loire department, in western France.

• 09:45 : A call on social media for the gilets jaunes to abandon the hallmark yellow vest seems to have backfired. Most protesters are wearing the yellow safety vest.

• 09:30 : Protests on Paris's Champs Elysés have been officially declared. people starting to trickle in.

• 08:30 : First gilets jaunes protests in 2019. Protests declared in Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse and other main cities in France.