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School administrators injured in French labor protests French president won’t withdraw labor reform bill
(about 9 hours later)
PARIS — French school principals are appealing for protection after several school administrators were injured by young people protesting against labor reforms. PARIS — French President Francois Hollande is standing firm on labor reforms which have angered his left-wing base, saying in a nationally-televised appearance Thursday that the government won’t withdraw a bill on the issue.
A march through Paris also turned violent Thursday, with riot police using tear gas to disperse masked demonstrators throwing rocks and glass bottles near the Stalingrad metro station. Police wielding batons also charged protesters who entered the Gare du Nord train station, a hub used for Eurostar trains to London and other international routes. The bill to relax the rules governing France’s 35-hour work week and layoffs has sparked weeks of protests and pushed ministers to repeatedly tinker with the proposal in an effort to make it more palatable. And while Hollande acknowledged that he was “trying to find the right balance,” he said the bill wasn’t going anywhere.
High school and college students are playing a prominent role in weeks of protests over a bill to relax the work week and make layoffs easier. Most of the demonstrators are peaceful, and many students are more worried about upcoming exams than labor reform, but a few hardcore protesters have blocked entrances to schools and resorted to violence. “It won’t be withdrawn,” he said.
The SNPDEN school administrators’ union said two deputy principals were lightly injured after being punched and hit by gravel at Voltaire High School in Paris on Thursday. Hollande made the comments during an exchange with journalists during a round of question-and-answer sessions with three journalists and four citizen panelists brought at Paris’ Museum of Man. The nearly two-hour-long event was widely seen as an attempt to revive his flagging approval ratings as leaders from across the political spectrum begin jockeying for position before next year’s elections.
SNPDEN deputy chief Michel Richard said that as the protest movement has gained steam in recent weeks, one school’s principal suffered three fractured ribs when a protester jumped on her, another was punched in the face and a third was bruised by garbage cans piled on by protesters. But Hollande’s labor reforms are angering young left-wingers, notably spawning an Occupy Wall Street-style sit-in at Paris’ Place de la Republique. Although the sit-in and other demonstrations have been mostly peaceful, there have been routine bouts of violence, including earlier Thursday, when several school administrators were injured by young protesters in Paris.
“We ask the state to intervene as fast as possible,” he told The Associated Press. A march across the capital also turned violent, with riot police using tear gas to disperse masked demonstrators throwing rocks and glass bottles near the Stalingrad metro station. Police wielding batons also charged protesters who entered the Gare du Nord train station, a hub used for Eurostar trains to London and other international routes.
Trade unions were expected to join students on Thursday afternoon for a larger protest against the draft labor bill. The government argues it will boost hiring and reduce chronically high youth unemployment, but opponents say it cripples hard-won worker protections. The SNPDEN school administrators’ union said that school officials have repeatedly been subjected to violence, including one school principal who suffered three fractured ribs when a protester jumped on her.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.