More than one million demonstrators poured onto France’s streets, and strikers shut down the Eiffel Tower and disrupted transport services in the largest nationwide protests so far against a new law that will make it easier to fire young people.

More than 200,000 protesters poured onto France’s streets and striking workers crippled transport services today in a mass effort to pressure embattled Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to withdraw a contested new jobs contract for youths.