Police have evacuated a historic Paris train station after a fire engulfed multiple vehicles and sent a cloud of black smoke over the neighbourhood.
Officers said the fire was under control by nightfall but flames could still be seen rising from the street near Gare de Lyon train station, near the banks of the Seine River.
Earlier, political opponents of the DR Congo government had called for musician Fally Ipupa's performance at the nearby Bercy venue to be disrupted.
Protests at the event had been banned, local media report.
At one point, the station's landmark clock tower was engulfed in smoke.
Someone set fire to a scooter during an unauthorized concert near the train station, and the flames quickly spread to other vehicles nearby, a police official said.
The official was not authorised to be named publicly.
Authorities urged people to avoid the area in eastern Paris while emergency workers fight the fire.
One video from the scene appeared to show protesters attempting to prevent firefighters from getting to the blaze.
Police said it was "outrageous behaviour" and demanded firefighters be allowed to operate.
Paris police say they have no reports of injuries yet but the situation is still evolving.
Local news reports say the fire started amid tensions around a concert by a Congolese rapper.
Footage from the scene showed flames engulfing the station and thick smoke billowing into the sky as crowds of people gathered nearby.
