Civil crisis in France deepened on Saturday night as political efforts to quell widespread unrest collapsed and the country braced for a national strike tomorrow.
Violence and looting in central Paris last week led the UK's Foreign Office to advise Britons against visiting parts of the city this weekend. The mood worsened on Saturday when students boycotted meetings between Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and opponents of a new employment law.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy heightened political pressure and distanced himself from de Villepin when he urged the government to find a compromise to end the turmoil. In a speech to his UMP party, Sarkozy, candidate for next year's presidential elections, sympathized with young demonstrators.
"Twenty years of mass unemployment, 15 years of mediocre economic growth, 10 years of sluggish purchasing power, seven political changes since 1981 -- how can we blame the young for saying out loud what their parents think?" he said.
In Saturday's setback to talks over the contrat de premiere embauche (CPE, or first job contract), Julie Coudry, leader of the Confederation Etudiante, said de Villepin had written a letter asking for talks on implementing the CPE when "the government knows we want the legislation to be dropped ... This letter is a joke, a provocation, which if anything feeds the social tensions in our country."
Two right-leaning students' unions said they remained keen to meet de Villepin. The five main labor unions met de Villepin on Friday and did not rule out further talks.
The focus for now is to minimize violence at tomorrow's demonstrations, which could draw hundreds of thousands of people all over France. Disruption will be widespread, including reduced train, metro and bus services. Schools, banks, post offices and state-run media will be closed. Air France and air traffic controllers are expected to strike.
Up to 90 people, including 27 police and paramilitary gendarmes, were injured in last Thursday's protests in Paris, Rennes and Marseille.
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