Sorbonne shut after student riots

PARIS: Paris riot police ousted students seeking to occupy Sorbonne university, and strikes on Friday shut down the Eiffel Tower and twothirds of trains – all part of a season of simmering national discontent.

Much of the anger centres on President Emmanuel Macron, but he went on national TV on Thursday to declare that strikes and protests won’t prevent him from overhauling France’s economy so it can better compete on the global stage.

Rail workers resumed a strike on Friday that will disrupt travel off-and-on through June. But the number of striking workers was down from previous actions, and international trains went through.

The Eiffel Tower announced it was closed to the public Friday because of a strike by security personnel. Their demands were not immediately clear.

The Sorbonne announced its iconic Left Bank site was closed on Friday for security reasons after the Thursday night police operation. While about 200 students were evacuated, a few hundred others gathered outside, chanting angrily at police.

Students at campuses around France are now protesting admissions reforms that they fear threaten access to public university for French high school graduates. Macron on Thursday dismissed the protesters as “professional agitators” and ridiculed some demands.– Ap/african News Agency/ana