Paris clashes follow Macron's military parade

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday showcased European military cooperation in a Bastille Day parade but the glittering event was tarnished by violent clashes between police and protesters.

Key EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, joined Macron in Paris to watch the annual parade that included representatives of nine other European armies in a show of unity.

But the celebrations of France's national day were tarnished by clashes that subsequently erupted between protesters and police that recalled violence seen at the peak of the "yellow vest" protest movement earlier this year.

Police fired tear gas to clear protesters from the Champs-Elysees. Protesters tore down security barriers and set fire to rubbish bins and portable toilets, AFP correspondents said.

The earlier parade itself had gone without a hitch. Some 4,300 members of the armed forces marched down the avenue's famed cobblestones in a tradition that dates back to .