PARIS — French security forces fanned out across Paris and other cities on Saturday as the country faced a 19th weekend of “Yellow Vest” demonstrations, following a surge of violence last week that caught the authorities by surprise after months of dwindling numbers and calmer protests.

Though sporadic clashes erupted late in the day, violence dropped on Saturday as protesters marched peacefully in the French capital and elsewhere.

Nearly 6,000 police officers were out on the streets of Paris, especially around the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, which have become the focus of protests and where the authorities this past week banned demonstrations.