Paris
More than a million people joined raucous protests across France this week, demanding the repeal of a new labor law. In Paris, some 80,000 demonstrators pried up cobblestones, tore down street signs, and ripped out park benches, hurling items at police. Demonstrators blocked roads and train tracks across the country. Hundreds were arrested, bringing to 3,500 the number taken into custody during the past two weeks. With tensions mounting, officials from the ruling center-right party of President Jacques Chirac began meeting with union leaders to discuss amending the law, which allows companies to fire at will workers under age 26 in their first two years on the job. The probation period is meant to encourage firms to hire more young workers, who face unemployment of more than 20 percent.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Social Security: Insolvency date keeps getting closerFeature A new report has projected that Social Security funds could be depleted by 2033
-
Are AI lovers replacing humans?Talking Points A third of Gen Z singles use tech as a 'romantic companion'
-
What are the Trump Accounts for kids and how do they work?The Explainer Parents will soon be able to open tax-advantaged investment accounts on their child's behalf
