France's President Macron assesses aftermath of yellow vest riots in Paris

PARIS. KAZINFORM - The French president visited riot-affected areas around the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris on Sunday and met with officials to take stock of the aftermath of the yellow vest protests that have rocked the capital, injured more than 100 and led to over 400 arrests, EFE reports. 

Emmanuel Macron talked with police officers at the Champs-Elysee and presided over a meeting with officials including Prime Minister Edouard Philippe at the Elysee Palace, the presidential residence.

"I convened an interdepartmental meeting with the competent services. I will always respect the challenge, I'll always listen to the opposition, but I'll never accept violence," Macron said.

The head of state also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner, and witnessed how large parts of the city had been left looking like a battleground, strewn with burned-out vehicles, beer cans and daubed with slogans painted on national monuments.

The interior ministry updated the number of arrests to 412 and those injured to 133, of which 23 were members of the security forces.

The yellow vest demonstrations began initially as a peaceful protest against a hike in fuel prices but have now deteriorated into some of the most violent tumults France has seen in many years.

Macron's government has not ruled out decreeing a state of emergency, Benjamin Griveaux, one of Macron's closest political allies, said, adding that "all measures should be studied."