More than half a million protest across France as Paris sees clashes and arrests

Plumes of smoke in the sky over Paris and on the streets anger against the French government turning to violence. Police and protesters clashed on the Place de la République for several hours. A lot of stun grenades going off now and a lot of tear gas you can see. Scenes getting quite chaotic with young people and police officers standing off over there. There were similar scenes in other parts of the city. Vehicles on fire, debris littering roads and dozens of shops vandalised. People running as police tried to disperse the crowds. The unrest began soon after people had gathered peacefully to demonstrate over the rising cost of living, following calls on social media for a revival of the yellow vests, a movement that was sparked eight years ago by rising fuel prices. So here's a sign saying we don't want to smash everything up, we just want change? What sort of change are you looking for? That's very easy as an answer. We want fiscal justice. We want social justice. We want justice in the courts. We want direct democracy. Many students also joined in. Some have been protesting for weeks, demanding the government improve the education system. We are the future. We are the future. We are living very badly in the country. I'm getting we are getting sick and tired we are protesting for years years and years after years and the government doesn't doesn't do so don't do much so we are here today all the country to protesting against the government today do you think this is a revival a new wave of yellow vests will you come out and protest again in a yellow vest of course until the government have something to change. A billion of students are killing themselves because they're lonely, they don't have enough money, they don't have enough to eat and that's so just crazy how much the government doesn't listen to us. Social tensions have been simmering for months in France, not just in high schools but among those who say they're struggling financially and that the government doesn't care. The pressure is now on ministers to convince them otherwise and restore calm. Natasha Butler, Al Jazeera, Paris.