Clashes as French police crack down on 'yellow vest' protests

Clashes broke out in the latest "yellow vest" protests in French cities Saturday but a massive police deployment prevented more of the rioting and looting that marred last week's rally in Paris.

More than 40,000 people took to the streets across France for a 19th consecutive week of anti-government protests -- 5,000 of them in the capital -- Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.

Most of the "yellow vest" protests were relatively calm but scuffles broke out in Paris in the afternoon as police moved in with tear gas against a hard core of hooded demonstrators, many wearing gas masks or helmets.

A 75-year-old woman was seriously injured in the southern city of Nice when she fell and hit her head during a police charge.

Authorities had vowed zero tolerance of any violence, outlawing the protests in a large area of western Paris for the first time.

That included the Champs-Elysees, the scene of last Saturday's rampage by hundreds of black-clad agitators.

This time around 6,000 ...