Rennes
More spontaneous blockades
A round-up of some of yesterday's (31 March) school and office occupations and blockades of roads and railways against the CPE.
Late Friday night up to 10,000 were said to be still be in the streets after a protest at Chiracs announcement that he would promulgate the controversial CPE.
Round up of earlier events
CPE protests: Blockades across France
Brief reports of the road and rail blockades across the country last Thursday 28 March, and updates on the mushrooming high school occupations as 62% declare solidarity with the anti-CPE movement.
Latest Poll
62% of French 'united', or 'in solidarity' with the anti-CPE movement (LCI poll)
Groups of a hundred in moving blockades, Lille
CPE struggle: Roads blocked in Brittany
Road stoppings by students opposed to the CPE today strongly disrupted access to Rennes, Nantes, Brest and Lannion today.
The three road blockades set up in Rennes were cleared at around 10am, on order of the CRS riot police, which at times used teargas. But the operation took place without confrontations according to the police force.
Thibault Boyer, vice-president of the UNEF to the board of directors of Rennes-II said that "its a symbolic blocking to show our determination against the CPE".
France in the streets: Largest demonstrations yet
Full coverage of today's demonstrations, strikes and riots as public transport and services crippled and nearly 3 million take to the streets in protest against the CPE.
Tuesday 28th of March - Summary
In tiny Hennebont, 300 high school students block bridge
Breton regional paper Ouest France is reporting the blocking of a bridge in the Morbihan departement by protesting high school students in Brittany.
This is just one example of the recent politicisation of French high school students.
300 students from the tiny medieval town of Hennebont, population just 13,000, were said to have been blocking the bridge from 3.30pm French time
Anger boils over: Rioting in Lille, Tours, Paris and Rennes
Further disturbances have been reported in many towns and cities as mass anti-CPE demonstrations ended across France this evening.
At Paris's Le Place de la Nation, the vast square where this afternoons demonstration had ended, hundreds of youths were caught in pitched battles with the CRS riot police. Rounds of tear gas were fired and at least one molotov cocktail was thrown at police. By around 7pm calm began to be restored to the area.
Lyon, Rennes and Toulouse protest against casualisation
First reports from Liberation on this mornings demonstrations.
Liberation gave marches in Lyon, Rennes and Toulouse the following figures:
Rennes
15,000 police estimate
35,000 organisers estimate
Lyon
11,000 police estimate
25,000 organisers estimate
Toulouse
22,000 police estimate
33,000 organisers estimate
Protesters invade Rennes train station
Le Figaro is reporting that between 200-300 protestors have made entry to Rennes train station, as up to 35,000 marched in the Breton capital.
The people are opposed to new labour liberalisation law the CPE.
Half a million youths say no to the CPE
On Thursday, two days before the latest national mobilisation, hundreds of thousands of students and secondary-school pupils - the latter very numerous - demonstrated across France against the CPE.
In several cities, there were clashes with the police. The Prime Minister Domenique de Villepin claimed once again to be "open to dialogue within the framework fixed by the law to improve" the CPE. "I am very hopeful that this day will go well", he declared before announcing that on Friday evening he would receive the Conference of University Presidents (CPU) in Matignon.
100,000 on the streets in Brittany
Nearly 100,000 demonstrate in Brittany against the CPE.
Numbers on demonstrations
Rennes: 20 000
Nantes: 30 000
Brest: 12 000
Quimper: 4000
Saint Brieuc : 12 000
Valves: 2500
Lorient: 6000
Saints-Nazaire: 4000
Chateaubriant: 400
Redon: 200
Ferns: 150
Dinan: 100
Glazed: 100
Pontivy: 1000
Saint Malo: 150
Students from Rennes stated:
