French riot police clash with youths on fringes of environmental rallies

Youths clashed with police today in two French cities on the sidelines of demonstrations honouring a protester who was killed during a similar confrontation over a dam project last week.

Riot police bearing shields fired tear-gas canisters in western Nantes to disperse masked protesters – some of whom lit fires, threw back the canisters and tore down street signs to use as projectiles.