Police break through oil refinery blockades

With no sign workers protesting over plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 were relaxing their action, riot officers forced them away, restoring petrol to areas where pumps were dry.

President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered all fuel depots forcibly reopened and vowed that he would “carry the retirement reform through to the end.”

Despite France’s tolerance for a long tradition of strikes and protest, official patience appeared to be waning after weeks of actions that have caused traffic chaos, cancelled flights, thrown public transport into chaos and halted fuel supplies.

With about a quarter of the country’s 12,000 filling stations empty on Tuesday, authorities stepped in to force open three fuel depots blocked by striking workers for days.

At one site in the western town of Donges, police formed a corridor along the road leading to the depot to allow trucks to pass in and out.

Interior minister Brice Hortefeux warned the blockades threatened emergency services and could have grave consequences.

Around 70 ships were still waiting in waters outside Marseille because oil terminals there were blocked by strikers.

Over the past week, 1,423 people have been detained for protest-related violence and 62 police officers injured.

In the Paris suburb of Nanterre about 100 students blocked a school entrance and part of the road before about 100 other youths started darting through the streets, smashing store windows and throwing stones.

Students plan new protests today, with a demonstration in Paris hours before the Senate votes on the retirement measure.