French police have deployed tear gas in a bid to quell Yellow Vest protesters in a tense stand-off in the city of Rouen in Normandy.

Demonstrations quickly spiralled out of control in the northern French city on Saturday as protesters and riot police clashed in the streets of the picturesque town.

#Acte7 / #GiletsJaunes à #Rouen : gendarmes et policiers de la Bac sont en position pour permettre l'intervention des pompiers sur la banque de France en flammes. Au passage, les policiers se moquent de moi : "Oh, copain comme cochon." pic.twitter.com/1vPkMxtOPp — simon louvet (@LouvetSimon) December 29, 2018

Journalist Simon Louvet, who is in Rouen, tweeted: “The GJ (Gilet Jaunes) are in the streets around Jeanne D'Arc Street and are gassed, they flee running and regroup.”

#Update: Around 100 #GiletsJaunes protestors in the french town of #Rouen are making trouble, and police seen throwing Tear gas canisters at the crowd! pic.twitter.com/zunVQv1vcd — Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) December 29, 2018

#Acte7 / #GiletsJaunes à #Rouen : la Bac a avancé pour interpeller. Tirs de flashball. Un policier m'a ciblé avec son flashball et une policière m'a mis un coup de matraque dans la main gauche. @PoliceNat76, j'ai le droit de filmer ! J'ai un brassard et je m'annonce ! cc @davdufpic.twitter.com/V04NjzMjkR — simon louvet (@LouvetSimon) December 29, 2018

La rue Jean-Lecanuet progressivement elle aussi sous les nuages de lacrymo, le cortège des #Giletsjaunes se replie vers l’hôtel de ville pic.twitter.com/mcvzUZffcm — Jean-Baptiste Morel (@JB__Morel) December 29, 2018

The protesters also set fire to the entrance of the local office of the Bank of France, the country’s central bank.

#Acte7 / #GiletsJaunes à #Rouen : gendarmes et policiers de la Bac sont en position pour permettre l'intervention des pompiers sur la banque de France en flammes. Au passage, les policiers se moquent de moi : "Oh, copain comme cochon." pic.twitter.com/1vPkMxtOPp — simon louvet (@LouvetSimon) December 29, 2018

Away from the violence, a large group of protesters also marched through the streets, waving French flags and chanting slogans.

#Acte7 / #GiletsJaunes à #Rouen : le cortège marche vers la rue de la République. C'est calme. Je ne vois pas la queue du défilé. pic.twitter.com/PZGMPPk8FO — simon louvet (@LouvetSimon) December 29, 2018

Paris, the scene of the most dramatic demonstrations since the rallies began in November, was significantly quieter than previous weeks but it also saw dozens of Yellow Vests gathered on Champs-Elysees on Saturday.

On Thursday, a group of the protesters attempted to storm the Mediterranean castle that serves as President Emmanuel Macron’s summer retreat.

The weeks of demonstrations have polarized France. The movement began as rallies against fuel-price hikes, but it soon morphed into nationwide protests against government policies.

The fuel hikes were scrapped by the government but people have continued to demand more concessions, including lower taxes and even Macron’s resignation.

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