Hundreds of thousands of students have marched through French cities in protests aimed at killing off a new youth employment law. Rail workers and teachers staged one-day sympathy strikes on Tuesday across the country. Early counts around the country suggested turnout could reach that of a week ago, when anything between one and three million took part.France's ruling conservatives stopped short of agreeing to scrap the law but, faced with sliding poll ratings, signalled possible concessions to trade unions. Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister, struck a defiant tone telling a rowdy parliament session the government would not "throw in the towel". "The priority is to come out of the current crisis. It is not in the interest of anyone, especially not of the youth who are looking for jobs and awaiting solutions to their difficulties."