French president Emmanuel Macron has denounced the antisemitic abuse of a prominent intellectual by a group of yellow vest protesters in Paris.

Alain Finkielkraut was insulted by several protesters, with phrases like “dirty Zionists” and “We are in France” aimed towards him. Video of the incident was shown in French.

“The antisemitic insults he has been subjected to are the absolute negation of who we are and what makes us a great nation. We will not tolerate them,” Mr Macron wrote on Twitter.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said said that an investigation into antisemitism at the protest way under way. The probe will look at “public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion”.

It comes amid growing concerns about the yellow vest movement’s radical fringe. The gilet jaunes demonstrations began in November over fuel taxes but have morphed into a general revolt against a government viewed as out of touch, and includes activists on the left and right.

Yellow vest protests continue in France Show all 20 1 /20 Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow vest protests continue in France Protesters wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) stand next to a burning barricade as they demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow vest protestors hold a banner in front of the Noailles police station in Marseille, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by GERARD JULIEN / AFP)GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images GERARD JULIEN AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Protestors wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) wave flares, French and Italian flags as they demonstrate on December 22, 2018, in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images VALERY HACHE AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Protestors wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France on December 22, 2018. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by RAYMOND ROIG / AFP)RAYMOND ROIG/AFP/Getty Images RAYMOND ROIG AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Protestors wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) face French riot police as they demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France on December 22, 2018. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by RAYMOND ROIG / AFP)RAYMOND ROIG/AFP/Getty Images RAYMOND ROIG AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow vest protestors go down the Montmartre Hill in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are announced in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow vest protestors walk in the 9th district of Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France French activist Jean-Baptiste Redde, aka Voltuan, (C) holds a sign reading "The king Macron gives crumbs to the derelicts" as he takes part in a "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) demonstration against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France, on December 22, 2018. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by RAYMOND ROIG / AFP)RAYMOND ROIG/AFP/Getty Images RAYMOND ROIG AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow Vest protestors walk in the streets of Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Demonstrators block the highway near the French border with Spain, during a protest in Biriatou, southwestern France, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The yellow vest protests, which have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, clearly abated Saturday as the Christmas holiday season began in earnest. Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts remained occupied across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, Demission," which translates as "Macron, resign."(AP Photo/Bob Edme) Bob Edme AP Yellow vest protests continue in France Demonstrators block the highway near the French border with Spain, during a protest in Biriatou, southwestern France, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The yellow vest protests, which have brought chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, clearly abated Saturday as the Christmas holiday season began in earnest. Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts remained occupied across the country. In southern France near the Spanish border, dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks and chanted "Macron, Demission," which translates as "Macron, resign."(AP Photo/Bob Edme) Bob Edme AP Yellow vest protests continue in France Protestors wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) wave flares as they demonstrate on December 22, 2018, in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images VALERY HACHE AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France A Yellow Vest protestor holds a French flag near the Paris Opera, in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP)FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images FRANCOIS GUILLOT AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France A Yellow Vest protestor sits on the statue of Jeanne D'Arc, at the Pyramides place in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow Vest protestors stand with banners near the Louvre in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Protester wearing yellow vest scuffles with a policeman during a demonstration by the "yellow vests" movement in central Paris, France, December 22, 2018. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann CHRISTIAN HARTMANN Reuters Yellow vest protests continue in France A woman dressed as a "Marianne", a national symbol of the French Republic, and yellow vest protestors walk near the Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph) on the Champs Elysees avenue on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are announced in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Zakaria ABDELKAFI / AFP)ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP/Getty Images ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France A Yellow Vest protestor faces anti-riot policemen in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France. - The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images SAMEER AL-DOUMY AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France epa07244739 Protesters gather during a 'Yellow Vest' walk in the streets next to the Opera in Paris, France, 22 December 2018. The so-called 'gilets jaunes' (yellow vests) is a protest movement, which reportedly has no political affiliation, that continues protests across the nation over high fuel prices. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT ETIENNE LAURENT EPA

Mr Finkielkraut told Le Parisien newspaper that he came across a group of protesters and approached them out of curiosity.

He said he heard some of the slurs and insults, including one telling him to throw himself into a canal. He said he does not plan to file a complaint.

A member of the prestigious Academie Francaise, the philosopher had expressed sympathy for the movement in previous interviews, but told French TV channel LCI: “I want one thing, I want to know who they are. What movement do they belong to? That interests me.”

The French government said that antisemitic acts in France rose 74 per cent in 2018 compared with the previous year.

In a separate incident this week, swastikas were sprayed on portraits of the late French politician and holocaust survivor Simone Veil in Paris.

Fourteen French political parties, including Mr Macron’s ruling La Republique En Marche, plan to hold symbolic gatherings against antisemitism across the country later this week.

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The increasingly divided yellow vest movement has held protests every Saturday since November 17, but some groups are holding rallies today to celebrate the movement’s three-month birthday.

An online invitation to Sunday’s Paris march said: “Let’s stay peaceful”.

Police fired tear gas and brought in water cannons and a horse brigade to disperse protesters on Saturday. Some threw projectiles and set bins on fire during the 14th straight weekend of protests.