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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 13 september 2017

Protests over French labor overhaul grip Paris, other cities

By PHILIPPE SOTTO centuries-old family-based
Associated Press livelihoods.
PARIS (AP) — The Eiffel Tow- Dozens of big rigs drove at
er saw service cutbacks, a snail’s pace around the
angry carnival workers Arc de Triomphe, caus-
snarled traffic around the ing rush-hour traffic snarls
Arc de Triomphe and po- as protesters danced and
lice used water cannon waved flags on a flat-bed
and tear gas as unions truck with a severed plastic
held protests in Paris and head from a fair ride.
elsewhere Tuesday against The workers said they timed
planned changes to their protest to coincide
French labor laws. with Tuesday’s broader la-
The day of protests was bor demonstrations, since
the first collective outcry both movements were
against President Emman- about workers fearing their
uel Macron’s bid to power jobs are threatened.
the economy and boost “Everybody likes funfairs.
jobs by tackling France’s Protestors with their faces covered march against President Emmanuel Macron’s new pro-busi- Everybody has been to a
rigid labor rules to make it ness labor policies in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. Macron’s presidency is facing its first big pub- funfair one time in his life,”
easier to hire and fire work- lic test, as unions hold nationwide protests against changes to labor laws that they fear corrode bumper car worker Sam
ers. job security. Frechon said. “Funfair is
The hard-line CGT union (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) France.”
called for strikes and orga- which one can build his life Macron was elected in and more job insecurity,” Meanwhile, thousands of
nized some 180 marches on.” May amid enthusiasm over Nathalie Cornu, 50, a sec- union activists marched
against the changes, un- The union said 60,000 peo- his promises of revving up retary with the France’s So- Tuesday morning in the
veiled last month by Ma- ple participated in the Paris France’s economy. He now cial Security administration. Mediterranean city of Mar-
cron’s government. protest. Police said 24,000 is foundering in public opin- The Eiffel Tower was affect- seille, in Le Havre on the
Union leader Philippe Mar- people marched and that ion polls amid anger over ed by scattered strikes, with English Channel and other
tinez told the crowd in Paris some 300 black-clad and the labor decrees and oth- late afternoon viewing lim- cities.
that reforming labor rules hooded youths who joined er domestic troubles. ited to the first floor. Visitors Extra police officers were
was a futile effort to create late in the day pelted se- Protesters said the reforms had to access the viewing deployed to the after-
jobs. curity forces with objects, will give employers new area through a stairway noon march in Paris. While
“No reform which has de- briefly halting the event. powers to dismiss them, by- since elevators weren’t run- union marches are usu-
stroyed the labor law ... has Officers responded with pass trade unions and re- ning. ally peaceful, troublemak-
reversed the unemploy- tear gas and water can- duce their ability to defend Horn-tooting fair work- ers on the margins often
ment trend,” Martinez said non. A police statement their rights. ers held a separate pro- clash with police. A broad
at the Place de la Bastille, said four people were de- “There will be more short- test movement Tuesday movement against similar
the starting point of the tained and one person with term employment con- against legal changes they labor reforms last year saw
Paris march. Such reforms a minor injury was taken to tracts, more job mobil- say favor big corporations several weeks of scattered
don’t lead to “a job with a hospital. ity imposed on employees and could wipe out their violence.q
EU escalates efforts to preserve rule of law in Poland

By VANESSA GERA justice system in a way that it has now taken the sec- day’s development, but also taken control of public
Associated Press gives it direct power over ond of three steps in the so- the government of Prime media, which is meant to
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- the courts, saying it seeks to called infringement proce- Minister Beata Szydlo has be non-partisan, turning it
ropean Union on Tuesday create a more efficient jus- dure against Poland. It said repeatedly said it believes into a party mouthpiece.
escalated its case against tice system.The European it was giving Warsaw one the EU has no right to in- But with private news out-
Poland over what it sees as Commission, however, sees month to address judicial terfere in its internal affairs. lets still strong, rights groups
democratic backsliding in the move as an attack on changes which it believes It also argues that it has have been most troubled
the Central European na- the independence of the violate the rule of law. a democratic mandate by the judicial changes.
tion, moving a step closer justice system and rule of If Poland doesn’t address from voters to change the In Poland, government crit-
to a possible court case law in the 28-year-old de- the recommendations, courts.The EU and Poland ics fear a total takeover of
that could result in financial mocracy, and launched the Commission said it have been in a standoff the judiciary would leave
penalties for Warsaw. the first step in a legal pro- may take the case to the for more than a year as the the party able to use the
Poland’s ruling Law and ceeding against Poland in EU Court of Justice, which nationalist-conservative courts to settle scores with
Justice party, led by Jaro- July.The Commission, which could impose fines. party has sought to consoli- political opponents and
slaw Kaczynski, is pushing polices law in the 28-mem- There was no immediate date its power in ways big even to falsify election out-
to overhaul the nation’s ber bloc, said Tuesday that response in Warsaw to Tues- and small. The party has comes. q