French in second mass protest over retirement age

HUNDREDS of thousands of strikers marched in cities across France yesterday for the second time this month, protesting against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to hike the retirement age to 62.

Between one and three million French workers rallied two weeks ago to fight the reforms and unions were hoping for an even bigger day of demonstrations and disruption to keep the right to retire at the age of 60.

Sarkozy, already under attack from the European Union for deporting Roma and from the media over a lingering financial scandal, has insisted he will press on with the reform regardless, as he eyes re-election in less than two years.