French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting trade unions and employers’ organisations, in a bid to defuse weeks of unrest in Paris and other cities.

Monday’s meeting comes ahead of a TV address in which he is expected to announce measures in response.

France has seen four weekends of violent protests against fuel tax rises, living costs and other issues.

About 136,000 “yellow-vest” protesters took to the streets on Saturday. More than 1,200 were taken into custody.

The capital Paris was particularly badly hit, with windows smashed, cars burned and shops looted, as 10,000 people took part in demonstrations.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire described the situation as a “catastrophe for businesses” and the economy.

Protesters have staged demonstrations and road blocks across the country over the past four weekends.