French yellow vests maintain pressure on Macron.

Reuters - France's "yellow vest" protesters demonstrated in Paris and other cities on Saturday to highlight the difficulties they face in surviving, a day after President Emmanuel Macron's government hardened its stance against the demonstrators.

Two months after they began blocking roads, occupying highway tollbooths and, on some occasions, organizing violent demonstrations in the streets of Paris, the "yellow vests" are trying to give new impetus to the movement, which weakened during the end-of-year holidays.

Shaken by the protests, Macron's government began the new year on the offensive, labeling the remaining demonstrators as agitators attempting to overthrow the government. Police arrested one of the movement's prominent figures on Wednesday night.

Early Saturday afternoon, thousands of protesters wearing the high-visibility jackets that gave the movement its name marched peacefully from the Champs Elysees avenue through the center of Paris.

Some sang the national anthem "La Marseillaise," while others waved banners saying "Macron, resign!" and "End the privileges of the elite."

The Galeries Lafayette department store briefly closed its doors, but luxury shops and restaurants generally remained open.

The protests are motivated by the dissatisfaction of workers and the lower middle class with the squeeze on family income and the belief that Macron is not listening to the needs of ordinary citizens when enacting reforms seen as favorable to the rich.

Thousands of people gathered in Bordeaux, in the southwest, in Rouen, in the north, and in Marseille, in the southeast, although in smaller numbers than in the first weeks of demonstrations.

The protests—18 months after Macron took office and began his efforts to reform the economy—have already forced the 41-year-old president to make concessions.

Last month, Macron promised tax cuts for pensioners, wage increases for the poorest workers, and the abandonment of planned tax increases to end the protests, at a cost to the Treasury of 10 billion euros.