Anti-Sarkozy protests escalate, students strike

PARIS -- French police arrested more than 100 demonstrators and hundreds of students went on strike at a Paris university as left-wing protests against president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy continued for a fourth night yesterday.

Some 300 to 400 demonstrators gathered on the Boulevard St - Michel in the Latin Quarter of Paris, ostensibly to protest against a march by far-right supporters.

Shouting slogans like "Sarko fascist! The people will have your hide!" and "Police everywhere, justice nowhere!", the demonstrators were cornered by hundreds of police close to the nearby Luxembourg Gardens.

A police officer at the scene said 118 arrests had been made by 9.30 p.m.

The protests follow three nights of violent confrontations between police and young rioters in Paris and other cities that government politicians blame on inflammatory statements from left-wing politicians during the election campaign.

Although limited so far, the protests have awakened memories of the violent protests against a proposed youth jobs contract that shook France last year, especially around the Latin Quarter where police sealed off roads late yesterday.

Rioters in several French cities have already been sentenced for violent acts in clashes this week.

In a separate demonstration, hundreds of students at a Paris university staged a strike to protest Sarkozy's plans to reform France's higher education system and blocked access to an annex of the Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne university.

Conservative leader Sarkozy was elected president on Sunday, promising economic and social reforms that have alarmed many trade unionists and leftists.

"We are not calling the election itself into question," said one student, who gave his name only as William.

"We are saying: 'Careful, people, there is a program that's going to be put in place that will run right over you.' "

Sarkozy has promised to make higher education reform a priority.