
A tenth person has died during the Yellow Vest protests in France as demonstrations resumed today, with police pulling their guns on activists amid fierce clashes in central Paris.

A 36-year-old motorist, who has not been identified publicly, died when his car collided with a lorry at a road block erected by protesters in Perpignan last night, in the south of the country.

A local police spokesman said: 'The victim was with a group of demonstrators when the accident happened just before midnight on Friday. An enquiry has been launched.'

Protesters also gathered around a tollbooth on a French motorway on Saturday causing huge queues of vehicles and long delays.

Meanwhile Brussels faced renewed demonstrations after a month of mass protests which have seen at least 400 people detained following clashes with police.

Police forces stand on the Champs Elysees avenue after they dispersed some demonstrators of the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22, 2018

A tenth person has died during the Yellow Vest protests in France as demonstrations resumed today, with police pulling their guns on activists amid fierce clashes in central Paris

Demonstrators of the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) throws tear gas canisters back as police disperse the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22, 2018 as the movement turned out in small numbers for a sixth Saturday of nationwide demonstrations

Demonstrators f the French 'yellow vests' (gilets jaunes) throws tear gas canisters back as police disperse the end of a protest in central Paris on December 22

A burning barricade is seen during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France, December 22,

Protesters march during a demonstration by yellow vest movement in Brussels, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. Small incidents and struggles between protesters and police occurred during the march of some 100 protesters, inspired by the yellow vest protests in France, through the streets of Brussels

A protester walks past a burning barricade during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France

Tear gas floats in the air during a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Nantes, France on December 22 2018

A police officer aims a weapon at a Yellow Vest protester as demonstrations escalate in Paris

Protesters take part in a demonstration by the 'yellow vests' movement near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, December 22, 2018

Protesters knocked over a police motorbike amid intense clashes in the French capital

A protester forces his way through a French riot police's line as violence erupted in Paris today as anti-government protesters took to the streets for the sixth Saturday in a row

A driver has been killed after a car collided with a lorry during a Yellow Vest riot in France , marking the tenth death since the protests began last month

Protestors wearing a yellow vest 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

Around hundred yellow vested protesters demonstrated on Saturday from around 11:30 to 14:45 in the Belgian capital.

A police spokesperson said there were two arrests, including one for an assault on an officer.

One protester told Belgian outlet VRT: 'We want to change society. We have been considered sheep for too long and we want to change that, and defend our rights, we want to be able to give our opinion on certain things.'

Protestors wearing 'Yellow Vests' (Gilets Jaunes) demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France

A protester on the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France. The 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

A protester shouts at the French riot police during a 'Yellow Vests' protest near La Madeleine in Paris, France

Anti riot police officers escort protesters during a demonstration by yellow vest movement in Brussels, Saturday, Dec. 22

Small incidents and struggles between protesters and police occurred during the march of some 100 protesters in Brussells

An anti riot police officer sprays a protester in Brussels during a march inspired by the yellow vest protests in France

Near the border between France and Spain hundreds of protesters disrupted traffic on the A9 motorway as they gathered around an autoroute tollbooth.

Traffic was backed up for miles when the protesters blocked the Boulou tollbooth - the last toll before the Spanish border.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the yellow vests who retreated to a bridge, throwing objects on the road, a photographer at the scene said.

'The autoroute is now being cleaned to allow traffic to resume normally,' local authorities said.

France borders the Catalan region of Spain, and the French protesters were joined by dozens of Catalan pro-independence activists, also wearing yellow vests.

The separatists often block highways to protest against Madrid's rejection of Catalonia's independence referendum in October 2017.

Even though their goals are different, 'this demonstration at the Boulou (toll booth) is symbolic, it shows the solidarity between the Spanish Catalans and the French,' said Marcel, a 49-year-old winegrower.

Roadblocks by protesters were also reported on autoroutes near the border with Italy and at a bridge in Strasbourg near the German border.

Protesters march through the centre of Paris for another weekend of demonstrations. The anti-government Yellow Vest demonstrations, which originated from a protest over fuel tax, have been ongoing across France for over a month now with the movement spreading to other countries in Europe and even Asia

Yellow vest demonstrators threw canisters of gas into the air on the streets of Nantes

Demonstrators wearing hooded jackets and masks could be seen clashing with police in Nantes, France

The Vests have been protesting since November 17 and, despite a range of concessions by President Emmanuel Macron

Violence erupted in Paris today as around 800 anti-government protesters took to the streets for the sixth Saturday in a row.

Most were so-called Yellow Vest fuel price demonstrators, who are named after the high visibility jackets they wear.

David Delbruyere, 48, was one of about 20 protesters near the Arch of Triumph, the fifth time he has come to the French capital for a demonstration as he remains 'disgusted' with conditions in France.

Paris police said 65 people had been arrested, including a 'yellow vest' leader, Eric Drouet.

Authorities were also stationed at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris which has been closed to visitors over fears of unrest.

'Macron Resign', a crowd shouted today as they gathered at Montmartre, the tourist district overlooking Paris first thing this morning

There had been claimed that they would gather at the ancient palace of Versailles, to the west of the capital, but this turned out to be a diversion

A Facebook event organised by Drouet had listed thousands of people 'interested' in joining the Versailles demonstration but only around 60 showed up.

Further demonstrations of several hundred 'yellow vests' were reported in Lyon, Marseille, Rouen and Bordeaux.

And in Angouleme in southwest France, a puppet effigy of President Emmanuel Macron was decapitated Friday night during a 'yellow vest' protest, regional authorities said Saturday.

The Vests have been protesting since November 17 and, despite a range of concessions by President Emmanuel Macron including scrapping green taxes of diesel and petrol, continue to call for him to step down.

A protester wearing a yellow vest scuffles with a policeman who is raising a baton at him in central Paris

'Macron Resign', a crowd shouted today as they gathered at Montmartre, the tourist district overlooking Paris first thing this morning.

There had been claimed that they would gather at the ancient palace of Versailles, to the west of the capital, but this turned out to be a diversion.

'Our protests have been hugely successful in Paris itself, and that's why we're back here,' said Jean Caron, a 52-year-old from Brittany.

'What everybody now realises is that the government cannot control us, and that's why we will continue until Macron resigns.'

'Gilets jaunes' protesters wearing scary rabbit masks march through the centre of Paris for another weekend of demonstrations

Yellow vest protestors hold a banner in front of the Noailles police station in Marseille

A protestor wearing a Yellow Vest (Gilet Jaune) rides a bicycle with a French flag in Marseille, southern France

A protester wears an Anonymous mask and a yellow vest during the demonstration in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border

Despite such strong views, numbers were down on earlier demonstrations, with around 600 taking part in a march from Montmartre into the city.

Last Saturday there were almost 170 arrests for public order offences across the city, while last month some 700 were held in custody on a single day.

'The situation is tense, and we are monitoring the crowds constantly,' said a Paris police spokesman said today, adding that there had been no arrests by lunchtime.

High-end shops including luxury fashion boutiques were all boarded up, along with banks and post offices.

Mounted police, water cannons, and 14 armoured vehicles capable of spreading high-intensity gas were all on standby as part of the security operation.

They have failed to prevent widespread disorder over the past few weekends, with the worst violence normally coming at nightfall.

A Yellow Vest protestor stands on a sign reading Arc de Triomphe in Paris as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France.

French activist Jean-Baptiste Redde, aka Voltuan, (C) holds a sign reading 'The king Macron gives crumbs to the derelicts'

Prosters wearing a yellow vest demonstrate and block the road in Ventimiglia near the French-Italian border

Yellow Vest protestors walk in Paris, on December 22, 2018, as demonstrations are planned in several regions of France

The Vests have been joined by extremists from the far Right and the ultra-Left, as well as anarchists intent on causing as much damage as possible.

Crisis-ridden Mr Macron has not only climbed down on imposing green surcharges, but increased the national minimum wage by seven per sent, and scrapped tax on bonuses.

But the Yellow Vests said their protests would continue indefinitely as they campaign for even more concessions.

The independent Mr Macron, leader of the Republic On The Move party, won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, but he is now dubbed the 'President of the Rich' with polls showing his popularity rating down to just 18 per cent.