Paris is bracing for a day of “ultra-violent” unrest on Saturday as moderate figureheads of the “yellow vest” movement urged protesters to stay away from the French capital on Saturday.

The city is preparing for lock down with a string of stores, museums and landmarks, including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Galeries Lafayette shut for security reasons. Luxury boutiques, restaurants and businesses on the Champs-Elysees and around the presidential palace are under orders to close. Many were being boarded up around the capital.

Six French league football games have been cancelled around France.

"According to our information, radicalised and rebellious people will try to mobilise tomorrow," warned interior minister Christophe Castaner.

While he said the numbers would only number “several thousand,” he added: ”Some ultra-violent people want to take part.” He did not rule out “foreign” agitators being among them.