After French President Emmanuel Macron announced that higher fuel taxes would be needed to combat global warming, thousands of masked protesters in central Paris threw projectiles at police and set fires to buildings during demonstrations on Saturday. /VCG Photo

More than 200 people were arrested and at least 100 people injured in street battles, with dozens of cars torched and shops raided, according to CNN. /VCG Photo

Macron, speaking from the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, insisted that the protests had absolutely nothing to do with a peaceful demonstration regarding legitimate unhappiness or discontent and he would "never accept violence" after the city saw the "worst unrest in a decade." /VCG Photo

It is estimated that about 36,500 people took part in the demonstration, which marked the third consecutive week of protests. The French Interior Ministry said about 53,000 people participated last week and around 113,000 attended in the first week. /VCG Photo

The protests have escalated into a broader one against Macron and his government, with protesters claiming that the metropolitan elite are out of touch with the rural poor, who have to bear the brunt of the new taxation. /VCG Photo