French riot police have fired tear gas at climate change protesters at the Place de la Republique in central Paris, near where climate change activists had earlier formed a human chain.

About two hundred protesters, some wearing masks, on Sunday fought with police on a street leading to the square, which has become a gathering place for Parisians since the attacks in the capital on November 13 that killed 130 people.

Police fired gas at some demonstrators as they tried to reach the square and used tear gas to disperse others. Demonstrators carried banners calling for the defence of the climate and democracy.

A march planned for Sunday in Paris ahead of the UN climate change summit taking place at Le Bourget outside the capital was banned by police under the state of emergency rules imposed after the attacks which were claimed by Islamic State militants.

Using the state of emergency rules, police put 24 green activists under house arrest ahead of the summit saying they were suspected of planning violent protests.