French security protest kicks off week of unrest

story by Reuters
photo by EPA's Lucas Dolego
written by Jean-Baptiste Vey

PARIS — French trade unions protested on Saturday against a clampdown on immigrants, launching a week of action against tightening security and pension reforms on which President Nicolas Sarkozy has staked his political reputation.

Demonstrators opposed to new measures including repatriation of Rome to eastern Europe waved French flags and placards and chanted slogans including "let's stop repression" and "no to Sarkozy's inhumane policies."

A column of thousands headed in bright sunshine towards Paris's city hall, led by Rome. Thousands more rallied in Marseilles, Lyons, Bordeaux and over a hundred other cities.

"This weekend's demonstrations will be a first indicator of the country's mood during this turbulent return to work for politicians," the left-leaning Liberation newspaper said in an editorial.

Critics see the expulsions as part of a drive by Sarkozy to revive his popularity before 2012 elections and divert attention from painful pension reforms and spending cuts.

Saturday's protests also target the revocation of French nationality for immigrants found guilty of attacking police officers.

Sarkozy's moves have attracted criticism from outside France too.

The president, who says the security measures are needed to combat crime, faces a bigger test on Tuesday when workers hold a nationwide strike and protests over the pension reforms he says are essential to cut the country's budgetary deficit.
 
Sarkozy said on Friday he was determined to stand by the reforms, which among other things will raise the retirement age to 62 from 60.
Major disruptions

Unions say everything from schools and public transport to telecommunications will be disrupted. The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, begins debating the pension reforms that day.

Several unions, including at state railways, are calling for a 24-hour shutdown from 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 over the pension reform plans.

Air France said on Friday that the strike would affect operations.

It said it expected to operate all long-haul flights, 90 percent of its short- and medium-haul flights from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport and half of its short- and medium-haul flights from the city's Orly airport.

Unions said on Friday that Labor Minister Eric Woerth, who has been embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal linked to France's richest woman Liliane Bettencourt, was no longer fit to defend the reforms.

Sarkozy said he supported Woerth.

Woerth has been dogged for months by revelations from a family feud surrounding the fortune of Bettencourt, regarding allegations of illegal funding of Sarkozy's conservative UMP party and the giving of favours.

The government unveiled plans in June to overhaul the pay-as-you-go pensions system and clean up state finances, warning that without major changes the system would run up annual deficits of 50 billion euros by 2020.

"I will not be the president of the Republic who leaves without having balanced the pension system," he told factory workers on Friday. "I am extremely determined."