French President Macron begins crisis talks with ministers a day after 'Yellow Jacket' protest turned violent 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday convened a cabinet meeting for crisis talks a day after Paris saw its worst unrest in a decade on Saturday.

Macron went earlier to the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday after one of France's most revered monuments was vandalised by rioters, with the government considering a state of emergency after the worst bout of unrest in years.

Masked, black-clad groups ran amok across central Paris on Saturday, torching cars and buildings, looting shops, smashing windows and fighting police in the worst unrest the capital has seen since 1968, posing the most formidable challenge to Macron's 18-month-old presidency, reported news agency AFP.

Disturbances also rocked several cities and towns and across France - from Charleville Mezieres in the northeast to Nantes in the west and Marseille in the south, the report added.

The rebellion erupted on November 17 as a backlash against Macron's fuel tax hikes. 

It spread quickly via social media, with protesters blocking roads across France and impeding access to shopping malls, factories and some fuel depots.