General

Nationwide protests in France continue

President Sarkozy orders police to break up fuel blockades

Protests in France broke out again early Wednesday morning as France’s 12 oil refineries went into the seventh day of a general strike, the New York Times reports. Crowds of union protesters and students blocked road tunnels in Marseille and airports in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand. In Paris, masked youths set cars ablaze and clashed with police, while Lyon saw lootings and car burnings. Police have reopened three fuel depots after President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered the break up blockades that left one third of the country’s gas stations dry. Mr. Sarkozy said in a statement that weeks of demonstrations and protests will not deter him from pursuing his plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62. The final parliamentary vote on the plan is expected to occur before the weekend or early next week.

New York Times

Bloomberg

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.