 Around 400 people were arrested Tuesday across France as more than one million people demonstrated to protest proposed labor reforms, security sources said. The arrests were made after gangs of hooligans infiltrated the corteges in several areas and began looting and attacking passers-by and clashing with riot police. Serious incidents were reported in Paris, Rennes and Grenoble and about 200 people were detained in the French capital, alone. Almost 200 others were arrested elsewhere.
| Does arresting them involve catch and release, or do they get knobs thumped on their heads? |
As the demonstration in Paris wound down in the early evening, clashes were still continuing in Republic Place, where riot police resorted to tear gas and water canon to quell violence. In Paris, the strike mobilized around 700,000 people, mainly from union and student organizations, and organizers claimed that the protest march was the largest since the mid-1990s, and maybe even in history.
| Oh, yasss... Something to be proud of. One of La Belle France's proudest moments, in fact... |
Transport, education, postal, tax and other civil services were hardest hit, but there were big disparities between different cities concerning the percentage of strikers. In Paris, urban transport was said to be running at 70 percent, but the figure for Marseille was below 50 percent. Thirty percent of flights at Paris airports were also cancelled and others were delayed. Most major train services were running at 50 percent of normal. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has invited unions to talks on Wednesday but they have declined the invitation, an indication that more social upheaval may be on the cards.
| I suggest setting up a Directorate, getting some tumbrels, and lopping people's heads off. Betcha things quiet down then. |
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