Around 30 activists doused the French Health Ministry building with red paint to symbolize the blood of those who died from COVID-19 and to demonstrate against poor working conditions for healthcare workers on Saturday.

"For years, health workers have been alerting us to the fact they don't have enough resources with regards to staff, beds and equipment to be able to allow us to look after people decently," Aurelie Trouve, a spokeswoman for the 'Attac' activist group which was behind the protest, told Reuters.

President Emmanuel Macron's government has decided to pay a 1,500 euro (1,676 U.S. dollar) bonus to healthcare workers, in recognition of their role during the coronavirus outbreak.

Yet many in the health care industry feel the government should do more for them, and violence broke out this week at another protest held by healthcare workers in Paris.

The demonstration was the first by health workers since the easing of the lockdown in France.

Meanwhile, across Paris, hundreds of people have been gearing up to stage protests decrying racism and police violence as well as poor working conditions for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The protesters who are marching in memory of Lamine Dieng, a man who died in a police van following his arrest, will be joined Saturday by a separate demonstration in support of undocumented workers.

Last week, it emerged that the French government agreed to pay 145,000 euros (162,000 U.S. dollars) to the relatives of Dieng, after 13 years of legal wrangling.

Both protests have been authorized by French authorities, who have been exercising caution over protests in recent weeks as the country emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

Other protests on Saturday in the French capital have, however, been banned, including an anti-racism demonstration near the U.S. Embassy by the Black African Defense League, and another protest linked to recent violence involving Chechens in the French city of Dijon.

(With input from agencies)