IT is Thursday afternoon in Paris and TENS of thousands of school and student youth have converged on the Place d’Italie.
They are marching towards the centre of Paris, demanding either the government withdraws its CPE first job contract that gives employers the right to hire and fire youth without good cause or the government must go.
French riot police have blocked off the Sorbonne University and are sealing off roads around the demonstration.
Virtually all high schools and universities are on strike and the youth have been joined by trade unionists, including members of the FO trade union, who are at the front of the march.
Thierry Brouard, from Jussieu University, told News Line ‘We tried to reoccupy the Sorbonne.
‘The police arrested several people and five are being put on trial.
‘Many high school students have refused to go to school today and workers unions have called on their members to join the demonstrations.
‘We will continue until they remove this law.’
Demonstrations are taking place all over France and more are planned on Saturday when millions will be on the streets called out by the French trade unions.