Paris (France) (AFP) – French authorities on Thursday imposed bans or restrictions on fresh protests springing up in the wake of demonstrations last weekend that degenerated into the worst street violence in years.

President Emmanuel Macron said, after chairing a meeting of key ministers and intelligence officials, that curfews and other security measures would be imposed, including bans on "groups without legitimacy" holding protests.

"The priority is a return to calm," he said, adding that he would chair a defence council meeting of key ministers on Friday to decide "the next steps" for new nationwide demonstrations called for Saturday and afterwards.

Officials are still reeling from the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism of public buildings that broke out on October 17, on the margins of mass demonstrations of more than half a million people against the surging cost of living.

Macron's government has admitted police lost control, and candidates jockeying to succeed him in presidential elections in six months' time argue that authorities are incapable or unwilling to calm the situation.

The worst of the violence, Macron said, "was led by organised ultra-left groups aiming to bring down the republic".

A Paris protest Thursday organised by students -- who had held four weeks of protests before the October 17 rallies -- was banned by the capital's police.

"The authorities are trying to make a distinction between 'good' and 'bad' protesters," said a university student leader, Coppelia Moreau, as lawyers requested a court injunction against the ban.

"What we are seeing is a government that doesn't want any demonstrations at all. That goes against the right to demonstrate," she told journalists.

Authorities on Thursday also declared a ban on "all protests" in the southwestern city of Lyon on Saturday.

France's third-biggest city suffered the looting of 200 to 300 shops last weekend and the torching of a tourist office in what its mayor described as hours of "chaos".

Other cities, including Grenoble, Rouen, Le Havre and Toulon, issued bans on protests in their city centres.

In Paris, the city's police said Thursday that the march planned for Saturday could be held in the east of the capital, starting at Bastille, but was banned from heading into the city centre, where shops and major public buildings are located.

The Yellow Vest movement organising the cost-of-living rallies along with unions said it did not agree with the order.

"We won't sign off on it," said Benjamin Ball, who runs an online map showing the planned locations of Saturday's demonstrations.

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