French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he deplores the deaths during yellow vest demonstrations of 11 people, which he said were not caused by French security forces.

Since mid-November, tens of thousands of protesters have rallied against Macron's policies in weekly protests which often end in clashes with police.

I deplore that 11 of our French citizens have lost their lives during this crisis, Macron said in the Egyptian capital Cairo, following further violence in weekend rallies.

I note that they have often lost their lives due to human folly but none of them has been a victim of the security forces, he added during a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The French interior ministry told AFP the latest person to die during protests was a 52-year-old demonstrator who had a heart attack at Saturday's rally in Paris.

While praising French security forces for their handling of the demonstrations, Macron also committed to defending citizens' right to protest.

He said the arrest of troublemakers, extremists was legitimate, as they had vandalized businesses and public property, as well as carried out acts of violence against police and others.

(They were) not arrested because they said something. Not arrested because they thought something, Macron told journalists.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron hold a joint press conference in Cairo, January 28, 2019. /VCG Photo

On Saturday 223 people were arrested in Paris, according to the local prefecture, while France's interior ministry estimated numbers for the 11th week of protests were at 69,000 across the country.

Macron said there should be no confusion between professional troublemakers and French citizens who demonstrate their dissatisfaction as they have the right to do.

During his visit in Cairo, he also told Sisi that stability and security cannot be separated from human rights.

“Stability and durable peace go together with respect for individual dignity and the rule of law, and the search for stability cannot be dissociated from the question of human rights,” Macron said in a joint press conference with Sisi.

Sisi told reporters that rights should be taken in the context of regional turbulence and the fight against terrorism.

(AFP)