February 6, 2009. Students Protest Education Reforms Across France
| SOURCE: | Air Security International |
Student demonstrators gathered in cities across France on 5 February 2009 to protest proposed reforms to higher education. The largest demonstrations took place in Paris and Bordeaux, where organizers claimed 10,000 people took part in each city (police estimated attendance in the demonstrations at under 4,000). Protests were also reported in Rennes, Lyon, Marseille and Nice. Minor incidents of violence were reported in Strasbourg, where protesters attempted to force their way into a university and hurled shoes and eggs at a new university facility; police officers fired tear gas to disperse them.
Meanwhile, the leaders of eight French unions are expected to meet on 9 February to discuss the possibility of staging additional labor strikes and street demonstrations to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy and the government's response to the global economic downturn. A new general strike may be announced for a yet undetermined date in March.
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