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Massive protests at French job lawStrike disrupts train, plane and subway traffic nationwide
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QUICKVOTEYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSPARIS, France (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of protesters Tuesday packed the streets of French cities and stalled the transportation system, demonstrating against a labor law that would allow employers to more easily hire and fire young workers. As the day wore on, police were ordered to clear the Place de La Republique, a large square in central Paris. On one side of the square police fired tear gas, and on another side of the park they used water cannons against the protesters. Slowly, the crowds began to disperse. (Watch thousands jam French streets -- 1:37) Although protesters scuffled with police in Paris, most of the demonstrations were peaceful, and the French Interior Ministry said there were no serious injuries. Protesters packed streets in a number of French cities besides Paris, including Lille, Marseille, Bordeaux and Rennes. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told members of his party Tuesday that while he was willing to modify the new law -- the "contrat premiere embauche," known as the CPE -- he would not back down despite the protests. Villepin has said the new law is necessary to create job opportunities for young people. He proposed the measure after riots last November by youth disaffected with the French way of life. On Monday night, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who may be Villepin's major challenger in next year's run for president, told a meeting of his party -- the Union for a Popular Movement -- that it is time for France to change. Speaking to a crowd in the northern town of Douai, Sarkozy said: "I have come here tonight to tell you that it is necessary, urgent and, above all, possible to change our habits and conventions. "We have reached a moment of truth: The French must choose between paralysis and movement." However, Sarkozy said he favored a temporary suspension of the CPE while a compromise is negotiated. The massive protests are in some ways ironic. Protesters, mostly students, are asking the government not to change the status quo. Under current law, merit in the workplace has little sway. Workers cannot be easily or inexpensively fired. As a result, employers are reluctant to hire, resulting in an overall French unemployment rate of 9.6 percent. The CPE would allow employers to hire and fire workers who are 26 years old and younger any time within their first two years of employment for any reason. The measure is expected to take effect in April. However, its implementation may be delayed because it is being challenged in court. Villepin has said he hopes the measure will reduce youth unemployment from the current 23 percent, but union and student leaders say it will create a generation of "throwaway workers" who will have to churn through jobs until they are older than 26. Protesters were focusing on stalling the French transport system. Commuters faced delays on public transport and airports were expected to be hit by stoppages. One flight in three was canceled at airports nationwide, according to the national civil aviation authority. (More on the disruption) Some postal workers, teachers and media employees were also among those striking. Transport workers were the first to strike, stopping work on some railway and subway lines beginning Monday evening. Many trains were still running, including those on the Eurostar lines to Brussels, Belgium, and London, England. Opinion polls show almost two-thirds of French people oppose the CPE, and unions said 135 rallies were planned across France. Police said they would be out in force because of fears that violence could flare, as it did during protests last week when cars were burned. Mass street demonstrations are closely watched in France after protests over pension reforms in 1995, which were widely credited with losing the conservatives the snap election called two years later -- in part on Villepin's advice. Fears of a broader revolt have been fueled by incidents in Paris last week that included looting, clashes with riot police and the mugging of student demonstrators by hard-core elements. Earlier this year Villepin ignored unions and forced the youth job contract through parliament despite reservations from his ministers and some members of the ruling party. Villepin, 52, a former foreign minister who has never been elected to public office, has invited unions and student groups to meet him for talks on Wednesday, but it is not clear whether they will accept the invitation. Opposition Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande said on Monday the invitation would be pointless if Villepin was not ready to scrap the youth job contract. "I don't want my country ... to have another meaningless meeting on Wednesday," he said. "The law must be changed." President Jacques Chirac, who appointed Villepin last May, backs him over the CPE. But observers say the prime minister's actions have caused some concern in his own party, although members recognize the need to cut the overall unemployment rate. Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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