The pungent smoke makes us instinctively cover our mouths and noses in the square.
Place de la République in Paris is an inferno of tear gas, explosions from police stun grenades. Young, black-clad activists throw stones, fire rockets and try to set fire to cars on side streets.
From time to time, the police make rushes with batons raised, causing the remaining peaceful demonstrators to flee in panic.
This was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration. It had a permit, and was supposed to leave the Place de la République at 2 p.m. But now suddenly police cars and police motorcycles are speeding around the square and in the side streets, people are screaming and running in panic.
In the middle of it, we meet Ines, 26, and Rebeka, 25, who came here from Orleans, south of Paris. Both are wearing yellow vests.
- It is the first time that we are demonstrating. But we wanted to do it now, because this is no longer possible. Fuel prices are too high, I drive 120 kilometers a day to and from work and I can't get around anymore, says Ines, who is a special education teacher.
What do you say about the violence from the protesters?
- We try to be as peaceful as possible, but there must be some violence as well.
Why that?
- Otherwise we will not be listened to, we have never been before. There have been small demonstrations that have never led to anything, claims Ines.
A couple of hours later, around 4 p.m., the violence has escalated. DN's emissaries see activists setting fire to cars, building barricades and smashing the windows of a grocery store. Some break into and try to set fire to a small restaurant.
The outraged restaurant owner drives the vandals away with the fire extinguisher at full blast. He is met with angry screams from the black-robed - and with some effort gets them to stay away from his restaurant.
- This is not wise. Only vandals want to break things. There are no students, that. They are extremists, says 60-year-old Sylvain, who usually lives in Berlin, but is visiting his native France with his son.
- It makes you sad to see this. People criticize the police, but they are just doing their job and trying to protect us, he says.
"October 17" - the date had been circulating on social media for weeks.
In Facebook groups linked to the Yellow Vests protest movement and some radical leftist groups, there was talk of making common cause with the student movement - the one that has been going on in France for almost a month now.
Some student organizations said they were positive about collaborating. But that may have been a strategic mistake. On Saturday, the festive mood that prevailed in previous demonstrations was gone. Part of the peaceful demonstration managed to go the intended route, but even before the train departed riots had started around the Place de la République.
Even sober photographers and journalists recoiled from the violence.
The same thing took place in several other cities in France. In Marseille and Lille, masked activists temporarily broke into town halls, and in Lyon activists set fire to a tourist office. In several places, clashes took place with the police.
However, thousands of people demonstrated peacefully in the country, while the unrest raged. In Paris, the demonstration train reached the Place de Clichy – while barricades were burning in another part of the city. In Nantes, Lyon and several other cities, tens of thousands are said to have been out on the streets.
