Paris, Dec 12 (IANS): France's top tier football league announced on Wednesday the postponement of two games of Ligue 1 at the request of regional authorities due to the Yellow Vest political crisis sweeping across the western European country.

The matches of Nantes-Montpellier and Nice-Saint Etienne, scheduled to be held this weekend, have now been postponed, reports Efe.

Authorities in Loire-Atlantique and Alpes-Maritimes requested that Ligue 1 postpone the two matches since the French security forces are to be deployed on other missions.

The demonstrators - known as the Yellow Vests due to the emblematic high visibility vests for motorists that the protesters wear - have been protesting in support of a number of social demands after initial strikes were sparked by a surge in fuel prices due to a tax on diesel.

Last week, six Ligue 1 matches were postponed due to the Yellow Vest protests and are to be played on January 15-16, 2019.