Free Republic

PARIS - French student groups, bolstered by a firm show of support from trade unions, led a new protest march Tuesday to ratchet up pressure on the premier to scrap a contested labor law. Dominique de Villepin, meeting with ruling party lawmakers, expressed willingness to soften two provisions of the contested "first job contract" — but refused to consider canceling it altogether. As he spoke, the fourth student-led protest in eight days began in the capital, with thousands marching across the Left Bank and shouting "It's the street that rules!" in defiance of Villepin. The protests — at times violent...