Posted on 05/09/2007 4:21:27 PM PDT by Cincinna
PARIS (Reuters) - French police arrested more than 100 demonstrators and hundreds of students went on strike at a Paris university as left-wing protests against president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy continued for a fourth night on Wednesday.
Some 300-400 demonstrators gathered on the Boulevard St Michel in the Latin Quarter of Paris, ostensibly to protest against a march by far-right supporters.
Shouting slogans like "Sarko fascist! The people will have your hide!" and "Police everywhere, justice nowhere!", the demonstrators were cornered by hundreds of police close to the nearby Luxembourg Gardens.
A police officer at the scene said 118 arrests had been made by 9.30 p.m. (1930 GMT).
The protests follow three nights of violent confrontations between police and young rioters in Paris and other cities that government politicians blame on inflammatory statements from left-wing politicians during the election campaign.
Although limited so far, the protests have awakened memories of the violent protests against a proposed youth jobs contract that shook France last year, especially around the Latin Quarter where police sealed off roads late on Wednesday.
Rioters in several French cities have already been sentenced for violent acts in clashes this week.
In a separate demonstration, hundreds of students at a Paris university staged a strike to protest at Sarkozy's plans to reform France's higher education system and blocked access to an annexe of the Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne university.
"TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE"
Conservative leader Sarkozy was elected president on Sunday, promising economic and social reforms that have alarmed many trade unionists and leftists.
"We are not calling the election itself into question," said one student, who gave his name only as William.
"We are saying: 'Careful, people, there is a program that's going to be put in place that will run right over you.'"
After a long, heated debate in which anti-Sarkozy militants clashed with other students enraged at action that could threaten their approaching examinations, scores of activists prepared to occupy a lecture theatre overnight.
The higher education minister, Francois Goulard, called on the head of the Paris I site to make sure university courses continued and to guarantee access to the annexe's buildings.
"It is totally unacceptable that an extremist minority, showing their scorn for democracy, should try to oppose the enactment of the president of the republic's program," he said.
Sarkozy has promised to make higher education reform a priority and wants to introduce a law before the end of the summer to hand universities power to hire and fire staff, set salaries and manage their assets.
He has said universities should focus more on vocational courses, be encouraged to seek outside financing and be given more scope to expel under-performing students.
(Additional reporting by Francois Murphy, Tim Hepher and Paule Bonjean)
“the demonstrators were cornered by hundreds of police”
I like seeing sentences like that!
If the shoe fits...
Sarko takes the reins of power in a week.
THIS JUST IN: I think it is a joke post!
” AFFP) 07MAY07 Paris. Hundreds of U.S.-trained election attorneys boarded transatlantic flights this morning to form an army of lawyers demanding a full and fair recount of yesterday’s nationwide election.
Following the dramatic triumph of conservative Nicolai Sarkozy over rival progressive Sego Royal widespread calls of election fraud have been reported from New York to as far as Los Angeles and Hollywood, CA.
A hastily formed team of specialists from the newly formed Kerry, Rodham and Gore LLC firm organized the campaign challenge and its spokesperson R. Emmanual feels optimistic, “We can clearly show some form of cognitive dissonance is afoot where every knows a popular, socialist, woman cannot possibly have lost to a stubborn, rightwing, white, male. This is FRANCE for crisakes. We have a case and will make sure that every vote is counted until the results match reality”.
The U.S. 9th circuit court of appeals has freely offered its services in advising the French Supreme Court how to properly handle such cases.”
Yep. The people elected him. The rest of the loons are just having a childish liberal temper tantrum. We have more than our share of left wing wackos here, too.
Time for pest control!
LIBERALS HATE DEMOCRACY
BFD. If it were 6 protestors, the press would make a big production out of it.
Sarkozy seems to be doing a fine job so far, the leftist radicals are losing their heads, and the College Administration seems to be on board and keeping the Annexe open.
Has their been a John F. Kerry sighting at the demonstrations yet?
Get a job you filthy hippies!
It’s kinda ridiculous to protest against democracy.
Whoa, dude...you just had a free election.....take a step back and tell me just who the facists really are here.
By golly, they have the Florida Tamtrum Disease.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I thought liberals were supposed to embrace ‘democracy.’
.....hundreds of students went on strike at a Paris university.
ok, like exactly who are the students “striking” against? themselves?
“We don’t need no...education....”etc.
Only in fwance could this make sense.
P.E.S.T. (Post Election Stress Trauma)
Liberalism is a Mental Disorder. - Michael Savage
LOL! Absolutely hilarious! (Obviously it is a joke.)
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