Paris in lockdown as France braces for new anti-Macron riots

Paris looked like a ghost town early on Saturday, with museums, department stores and the metro closed.

Riot police braced to meet “yellow vest” protesters in the capital and other French cities in a fourth weekend of confrontation over living costs.

In what should have been a festive pre-Christmas shopping day, tourists were few and residents were advised to stay at home if at all possible.

Dozens of streets in central Paris were closed to traffic, while the Eiffel Tower and world-famous museums such as the Musee d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre were closed.

Many shops were boarded up to avoid looting and street furniture and construction site materials have been removed to prevent them from being used as projectiles.

“I hope they don’t make it as far as here,” said Anthony, a fruit stall vendor in the residential left bank, who declined to give his surname. He said 11 other open-air food markets across the city had been closed.

About 89,000 police were deployed across the country.